Counties for housing solutions: Building a path to affordable housing

Over the course of 11 weeks, elected officials, planners, and local community-based organizations from six counties worked in partnership with Smart Growth America and the National Association of Counties (NACo) during our first Counties for Housing Solutions (C4HS) program. Through the program, participants from Guilford County, North Carolina; Harris County, Texas; Hidalgo County, Texas; Jackson … Continued

Economic development Land Use and Development Technical assistance

Celebrating progress: A closer look at our Community Connectors program

Over the past year, our Community Connectors program has helped 15 teams from small and mid-sized cities advance locally driven projects to reconnect their communities that have been divided or harmed by transportation infrastructure. Our new video features some of the passionate planners, advocates, and city leaders leading these efforts. Hear from members of our … Continued

Advancing Racial Equity Economic development Technical assistance

A path forward in Florida: Resilience to flooding and economic growth

As part of our Climate & Land Use Technical Assistance Program, we worked with Florida-based community organization, Incubate Neighborhood Center (INC), to raise awareness about the ways that climate change is impacting their community’s infrastructure, insurance rates, and economic opportunity. In this video, business owners, government officials, and regional resilience partners talk about how flooding … Continued

Climate Change Technical assistance

Applications are open for the 2025 Champions Institute

Smart growth strategies help towns and cities across the country become healthier while improving resiliency and sustainability. With support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Active People, Healthy Nation Initiative, Smart Growth America’s Champions Institute provides mayors, city councilors, tribal chairpeople and councilors, and other local elected officials with knowledge and resources to … Continued

Complete Streets Technical assistance

How to avoid displacement and four other lessons from our 15 Community Connectors

Community Connectors is SGA’s program to help equip leaders in 15 small and mid-sized communities to repair the damage of divisive infrastructure. A few weeks ago, members from all 15 teams gathered in Washington DC to receive some extra technical assistance on two challenges that had emerged over the last 18 months of the program: … Continued

Advancing Racial Equity Economic development Events Technical assistance

Growing our Climate & Land Use Technical Assistance Cohort

Smart Growth America (SGA) is excited to announce a second round of climate and land use technical assistance (TA) opportunities for community-based organizations across the U.S. This new round builds on our successful partnerships from 2023, offering expanded support for communities advocating for equitable and climate-resilient land use, housing, and infrastructure policies. A couple of our existing partners include Incubate Neighbood Center (Fort Pierce, Florida) and Freedom Org (Edgecombe County, North Carolina), who came together in Washington, DC with the broader cohort to celebrate nine months of working collaboratively.

Climate Change Land Use and Development Technical assistance

Reinvesting in Florida: Fighting floods with community-based solutions

As part of our Climate & Land Use Technical Assistance Program, Smart Growth America partnered with a local Florida-based organization, Incubate Neighborhood Center (INC), to raise awareness about the impacts that intensifying storms and flooding have on housing affordability, infrastructure, and economic development in their community. Focused on the Fort Pierce area in St. Lucie … Continued

Climate Change Technical assistance

Request for proposals: Event photographer and videographer

Smart Growth America (SGA) is seeking an experienced professional or team of professionals to use photography and videography to capture an upcoming event on October 17-18 in Washington, DC and produce a short narrative video afterward. Please submit proposals to Elisa Ramirez ([email protected]) by September 20. About Smart Growth America Smart Growth America (SGA) is … Continued

Events Technical assistance

Making Maryland Safer: Protecting all road users with Complete Streets

Smart Growth America (SGA), through its Complete Streets Leadership Academy, worked with Maryland’s Department of Transportation (MDOT) and State Highway Administration (SHA) to pilot quick-build demonstration projects on state-owned routes in Bel Air, Hagerstown, and Howard County. These three communities were asked to plan, design, and install quick-build projects at specific locations to improve safety … Continued

Complete Streets Technical assistance