Kicking off the Amazing Place Ideas Forum in Denver this week

Vibrant, walkable neighborhoods can help attract new residents and jobs, support existing businesses, and benefit everyone’s quality of life. Smart Growth America’s 2016 report Amazing Place examined six cities — including Denver —that are using this approach. This week, leadership teams from five other cities are gathered in Denver to see how these strategies have been implemented and … Continued

Economic development

Amazing Place series: “A change is gonna come” in Macon, Georgia

From native American history to the birthplace of great American music, Macon, Georgia, has a rich heritage. City leaders have witnessed the positive returns of a place-based approach to economic development, but those efforts have largely originated outside of government. Macon’s Amazing Place leadership team of mostly elected officials wants to learn more about bringing those same strategies in-house.

Economic development

Amazing Place series: Akron, OH rediscovers its full potential

Over the last few years, Akron has adopted several initiatives to improve public spaces, encourage private investment, and attract new talent to the area. With help from the Knight Foundation, Akron is activating its canal trails, creating a long-range strategy for development, and finding dynamic and creative ways to engage its diverse community members.

Economic development

Amazing Place series: Residents of Charlotte, NC expect to live in “great places”

We’re bringing five U.S. cities together at the Amazing Place Ideas Forum, an innovative, experiential event that’s all about placemaking as the core of an economic development strategy. As we prepare for the forum later this month, learn about each of the participating cities in our #AmazingPlaceForum series. Find out what Charlotte, NC has been up to, and what they hope to gain from the Forum.

Economic development

Amazing Place Series: Wichita, KS builds a beach downtown

Communities across the country are embracing a new recipe for economic development: creating amazing places where people want to live, work, and play. Our Amazing Place report demonstrates ways that cities are investing in vibrant, walkable neighborhoods to help attract new residents and jobs, support existing businesses, and benefit everyone’s quality of life. And starting today, we’re going to share stories about how five specific cities are embracing these new strategies.

Economic development

Building Resilient States: Profiles in Action Webinar

Communities shouldn’t wait for a flood or a hurricane to see how land use choices will affect their ability to remain resilient in the face of disaster. Many states and municipalities are already thinking strategically about how land use, transportation, and infrastructure decisions can help them prepare for and mitigate the impact of disasters. Building … Continued

Economic development Resilience

Join us for a crash course on federal TOD financing programs

Many transit-oriented development projects are made possible with the help of financing from federal government programs. The details of those programs, however, are tougher to understand. What programs might your development project be eligible for? What time of year do applications open, and when are awards announced? And what do some of the most popular programs look for in applications?

Join us on Thursday, July 20, 2017 at 1:00 PM EDT for a free webinar that will answer all these questions and more. “A crash course on federal TOD financing programs” will provide an overview of programs available through USDOT, HUD, and EPA to help municipal leaders, real estate developers, and transit agency staff create more development near transit stations.

Economic development Events LOCUS

Building Resilient States: Profiles in Action

In October 2015, the Governors’ Institute on Community Design, a program run in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Smart Growth America, released Building Resilient States: A Framework for Agencies, a report intended to introduce and integrate land use and transportation issues into states’ conversations about resilience. The Framework was designed to help … Continued

Economic development Resilience

Announcing the Amazing Place Ideas Forum: Five communities, unlimited ideas

Photo of Denver's Larimer Square with list of winning communities

Vibrant, walkable neighborhoods can help attract new residents and jobs, support existing businesses, and benefit everyone’s quality of life. We’re excited to announce an in-person event exploring how these strategies are working in two particular cities—and how communities anywhere can use this approach.

Economic development