Local officials took the First & Main message to their representatives during Rebuild America’s Communities Week


During a special week in September we called Rebuild America’s Communities Week, elected local leaders in the First & Main coalition from small and mid-sized towns and cities across the country carried a clear and unified message to their representatives who were at home for recess: “We need reliable federal partners to support our homegrown efforts to rebuild our downtowns, restore our economies, and improve opportunity for everyone.”

Advocacy Local Leaders Council

How cities can reduce traffic instead of just ensuring more of it


A new approach to addressing the potential transportation impacts of new development in urban areas, outlined in a new report by our State Smart Transportation Initiative (SSTI), could be a powerful recipe for reducing the demand for driving, while helping create more prosperous transit- and pedestrian-friendly cities.

Economic development Transportation

One zone to rule them all


This month on Building Better Communities with Transit we’re joined by Eric Singer and Andrej Micovic, Associates at Bilzin Sumberg in Miami who talk about the creation of a unique ordinance in Miami-dade County that consolidates land use decision making. They also talk about how recent TIF districts and the county’s Strategic Miami Area Rapid Transit (SMART) Plan interact with that ordinance and what’s important in writing planning code.

Transportation

Since the workshop: Fitchburg, MA focuses on key downtown projects


A former manufacturing city northwest of Boston has renewed its focus on its downtown, leveraging partnerships with the local state university and utilizing its current stock of historic buildings to generate an economic resurgence.

Technical assistance

Since the workshop: East Central Wisconsin adopts Complete Streets policy


A regional planning commission in Wisconsin wanted to develop a regional Complete Streets policy as a tool to encourage its local jurisdictions to do the same. Partnering with Smart Growth America helped bolster their efforts, offering policy development strategies and fostering local discussions around Complete Streets.

Technical assistance