Climate Change

SGA partners with Lincoln Institute on climate-informed zoning project

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In partnership with the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy,  Smart Growth America (SGA) is eager to begin a new research project that will analyze the fiscal impacts of climate-informed zoning policy in Norfolk, Virginia, a community already experiencing the damaging impacts of climate change, including flooding.  Alongside a comprehensive scan of peer cities’ climate-informed  zoning approaches, SGA will consider how those approaches and land use policy can affect housing affordability, fiscal budgets, and equitable development objectives as well as highlight best practices to help coastal communities better prepare for future flooding and other climate change hazards.

Climate Change

SGA statement on new SEC climate disclosure requirements

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Yesterday, The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the agency empowered to oversee financial markets, announced a proposed rule change that would require publicly traded companies in the U.S. to disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and climate-related risks, while also indicating how these risks will impact their businesses and strategy in the future. Smart Growth … Continued

Climate Change

National Brownfields Coalition participates in EPA roundtable on brownfield redevelopment and gentrification

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On December 14, 2021, members of the Coalition’s leadership team and Environmental Justice and Health Committee joined EPA’s Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization (OBLR) along with other national brownfield advocacy organizations for a roundtable discussion focused on issues of gentrification and displacement of long-term, lower-income community members related to brownfield redevelopment. By hosting this discussion, EPA sought to gain insight on best practices to support brownfield communities across the country in mitigating the potential adverse impacts of new development while continuing to advance their environmental remediation and economic development goals.

Advocacy Climate Change Economic development

What our staff heard at the 2022 Equity Summit

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Last week, Smart Growth America hosted our second annual Equity Summit, with each of the three days curated and led by one of our three teams: land use and development, transportation and thriving communities, and economic development. With a phenomenal lineup of speakers, panelists, and Smart Growth America staff, there were plenty of tidbits of knowledge to take away from the Summit. Here’s what a few of our own staff heard.

Advocacy Climate Change Economic development Transportation

Mammoth infrastructure bill is notable for its powerful precedents and significant shortcomings

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The $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill awaiting the president’s signature is notable both for Congress’ most significant commitment yet to address climate change, and its general failure to do anything to fundamentally change the sources of the problem and reach the level of ambition required. This bipartisan infrastructure deal (the IIJA), approved by Congress on November … Continued

Advocacy Climate Change Complete Streets Transportation

More highways, more driving, more emissions: Explaining “induced demand”

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Even if we hit the most ambitious targets for changing our cars and trucks over to electric vehicles, we will fail to meaningfully reduce emissions from transportation without confronting this simple fact: new roads always produce new driving. This costly feedback loop referred to as “induced demand” is the invisible force short-circuiting the neverending attempts to eliminate congestion by building or expanding roads.

Climate Change Transportation