Next Wednesday, August 31st, LOCUS President Chris Leinberger will be handing over his current position to the next president, who will be announced in next week’s newsletter. Want to be among the first to find out who will be the new LOCUS president? Sign up below: Eight years ago, Chris Leinberger founded LOCUS “to advocate … Continued
Nearly 5,000 individuals and 150 organizations — including dozens of local chambers of commerce and elected officials — joined with Smart Growth America to oppose USDOT’s flawed proposal for measuring traffic congestion and urge them to rethink their approach.
Last month, LOCUS Director Christopher Coes joined The Hill for a policy discussion on Real Estate & the U.S. Economy at the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, PA. Coes joined a panel of real estate thought leaders from across the nation to discuss public policy changes that can incentivize development that generates opportunities and wealth in low-income neighborhoods. Here are … Continued
In response to increasing demand for homes in close-in neighborhoods, many cities and towns are pursuing redevelopment of places that have struggled with blight and disinvestment for years. These redevelopment initiatives are frequently impeded by the presence of properties with known or suspected contamination issues, which have often remained vacant in spite of federal, state … Continued
The recently passed federal transportation bill, MAP-21, significantly expanded the Transportation Innovative Financing Infrastructure Act (TIFIA) loan program and made several changes that made it easier for transit projects to win federal financing. This webinar features LOCUS staff and a panel of experts, including Duane Callendar, Director at TIFIA Credit program, discussing the benefits of TIFIA financing and how to use it for transit-oriented development projects.
Many rural communities have seen farmland eroded by encroaching development, or are losing young residents to places with more amenities and greater opportunities. Whether drained by sprawl or struggling to compete, how can rural communities address these challenges while remaining true to their unique character?
There’s lots of talk these days about how new technology can help cities meet their pressing transportation challenges. Where should cities start on this? And how can city leaders ever get up to speed on this quickly changing industry?
In December, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced a new initiative to help communities across the country advance transit-oriented development (TOD) projects to grow their economies, achieve their social equity goals, and improve quality of life for everyone.
EPA Brownfields funds helped transform the site of a former auto body repair shop into a neighborhood market in an underserved community in Greenville, SC. Photo via.
With sweeping bipartisan support, last week the U.S. Senate unanimously passed legislation to help communities across the country clean up and redevelop contaminated land. Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK), one of the champions of the bill, urged his Republican colleagues in the House of Representatives to do the same.
Boise, Denver, Greenville, Minneapolis, Nashville, and Pittsburgh are six of the many cities using a new strategy for economic development. Rather than offering tax breaks to lure companies, these cities are creating walkable, vibrant, inclusive neighborhoods that are attracting residents and employers, supporting existing businesses, and fostering entrepreneurs.
We talk about this new approach in our most recent report, Amazing Place: Six Cities Using the New Recipe for Economic Development. The report takes an in-depth look at the development strategies at work in these six cities, and is designed to show communities everywhere how to create diverse and durable local economies that last beyond the lifecycle of any one employer.
As part of Tuesday’s kickoff for the new report, we hosted an online conversation about creating these amazing places. Participants heard an overview of the guide as well as a detailed discussion about development in Denver, Greenville, and Pittsburgh. A recorded version of the webinar is now available.