Erwin, TN: Evolving from railroads to fiber optic cables


Many rural communities in America have been struggling as the economy has changed dramatically over the last few decades, but some of these communities are evolving and finding new ways to adapt. This is a story of how one small mountain town in northeast Tennessee has found new economic opportunity by investing in reliable, high-speed broadband internet to catalyze new growth and development focused in their walkable, historic downtown.

Economic development Rural Development Technical assistance Uncategorized

Lowell, Massachusetts Pursues Complete Streets

Local leaders in Lowell, Massachusetts are working hard to make their streets safer and more accessible, passing a Complete Streets policy several years ago and advancing or completing a number of recent projects that prioritize the need to make streets safe and convenient for users of all ages and all abilities.

Complete Streets Technical assistance Transportation

Complete Streets Consortium Series: final workshop in Knoxville, TN

This month, the Complete Streets team returned to Knoxville, TN for the third and final workshop of the Tennessee Consortium Series. Despite the weather’s best efforts (it turns out, a frozen street is not a Complete Street), not even a snowstorm could stop us from convening for two last days of intensive hands-on learning.

Complete Streets Technical assistance

Three Colorado cities win our second Complete Streets Consortium award

Westminster engages the community in a mobile needs assessment at a park-n-ride bus station. Photo via Westminster’s Mobility Action Plan.

Through our first Complete Streets Consortium Series, the National Complete Streets Coalition has been working with three Tennessee regions to foster state-wide collaboration and overcome barriers to safer, more equitable streets.

Now, we are excited to announce that a trio of Colorado cities has won our second-ever Complete Streets Consortium technical assistance. The Cities of Arvada, Aurora, and Westminster applied for and won the award collaboratively, and will together receive a set of three free technical assistance workshops. Each of the winning cities will host one of the workshops, which will be tailored to the region’s specific opportunities and challenges including creating first/last mile connections to new transit stations.

Complete Streets Technical assistance

Since the workshop: Osage Nation uses tourism boom to generate economic redevelopment

An influx of visitors to Oklahoma’s Osage Nation and the City of Pawhuska has spurred an opportunity to establish a robust tourism industry. The community teamed up with Smart Growth America to identify strategic investments that would maximize the unique culture, history, and arts of the Osage.

Economic development Rural Development Technical assistance

Complete Streets Consortium Series: recapping the Chattanooga, TN workshop


The Complete Streets Consortium Series works with three jurisdictions across the same state to improve inter-agency collaboration, create a peer-learning network, and identify strategies to overcome common barriers to Complete Streets implementation. Last month, we held the first of three workshops in the series in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Check out the visual recap below:

Complete Streets Technical assistance