In this issue: Please register for the Coalition and Lobby Day Meetings (March 20-21st) and please book your hotel room for the Coalition and Lobby Day ASAP – Deadline is Feb. 25th SGA Coalition Member Survey Call for proposals – EPA’s Smart Growth Implementation Assistance – due March 1 Transportation for America is hosting a … Continued
The following is a statement from Smart Growth America President and CEO Geoffrey Anderson in response to President Obama’s State of the Union address, February 12:
‘Stronger families. Stronger communities. Stronger America.’ In his State of the Union speech on Tuesday, President Obama described a shared national prosperity built on a thriving middle class and which has always been the source of our progress at home.
In order to achieve this prosperity, the United States must invest in its communities. Now is the time for bipartisan leadership on the issues that will ensure the long-term prosperity of the United States’ towns and cities. Many of the issues President Obama discussed on Tuesday are part of this work.
I was pleased to hear President Obama speak confidently about the chances for tax legislation this year. Part of bipartisan tax reform must include a review of America’s real estate spending to make sure taxpayers get the most for this investment. Smart Growth America recently released a report detailing the $450 billion in programs and line-items affecting our real estate market. That spending and commitments has a dramatic effect on how towns and cities get built, as well as their economic potential and fiscal resiliency.
In advance of President Obama’s State of the Union address tonight, we’re taking a look at the state of the administration’s work on development in the United States.
2012 saw a number of stellar advancements in federal policies that coordinate land use, housing and transportation. A number of federal programs as well as improvements to existing ones are helping communities across the country develop in ways that are cost efficient and promote broader economic growth.
The ongoing work of the Partnership for Sustainable Communities is the foremost example of this. The Partnership is an innovative program that helps communities more effectively coordinate federal housing, transportation, water, and other infrastructure investments. This work helps make neighborhoods more economically resilient, allows people to live closer to jobs, saves households time and money, and supports municipal budgets.
Guests at Smart Growth America’s 2013 Leadership Awards cheered (literally!) for smart growth, as well as the three recipients of this year’s awards.
Progressive Insurance was honored for its Snapshot program, the most widely available usage-based auto insurance program on the market today. Mayor Laura McConwell and the City of Mission, Kansas were honored for their commitment to investing in infrastructure. And Mayor Randy Rhoads and the City of Lee’s Summit, Missouri were honored for their focus on healthy, active transportation systems.
Earlier this week we announced the winners of our 2013 Leadership Awards. Progressive Insurance was one of the winners.
As Flo, the bubbly white-aproned spokesperson for Progressive Auto Insurance says, “It’s like, from the future, right?” regarding Snapshot, the company’s “pay-as-you-drive” auto insurance. It may seem futuristic, but Progressive has been developing the concept for a long time – the company first launched a forerunner of today’s plan in 1998 and introduced the latest iteration, Snapshot, in 2010.
Join Smart Growth America’s President Geoff Anderson, the Coalition for Smarter Growth and the Montgomery County Sierra Club next week for a panel and discussion about transit, bicycle, pedestrian, and smart growth solutions in Montgomery County, MD. Get the latest updates on Montgomery transit projects and join fellow advocates for discussion about smart growth issues in the county.
| When: | Wednesday, February 13, 2013 6:00-8:00 PM |
| Where: | Silver Spring Civic Center, One Veterans Place, Silver Spring, MD 20910 |
| RSVP: | Click here to register for this free event. |
The Sylvester Powell Jr. Community Center in Mission, Kansas.
Earlier this week we announced the winners of our 2013 Leadership Awards. Mayor Laura McConwell and Mission, Kansas were one of the winners.
Mission is a first-generation suburb of just under 10,000 people, located 8 miles south of downtown Kansas City, Missouri. At just 2.7 square miles, Mission feels like a small town despite being minutes away from the center city.
Some might see Mission’s small size as an obstacle to economic vitality. But the community in Mission saw smart growth strategies as a way to raise the profile of the city far beyond it’s small size.
Mayor Laura McConwell has helped make those plans a reality. McConwell has served as the City of Mission’s Mayor since 2002, replacing Sylvester Powell who served as mayor for the previous 25 years. Originally inspired to serve on the town council to speak for young families who at that time were not well-represented, McConwell has become a driving force behind several impressive smart growth and sustainability initiatives in the city.
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
Two mayors and one company are being honored this week with national awards for their leadership on better development strategies.
Mayor Randy Rhoads of Lee’s Summit, MO and Mayor Laura McConwell of Mission, KS have been selected to receive Smart Growth America’s 2013 Leadership Awards. They are joined by Progressive Insurance, for its Snapshot pay-as-you-drive auto insurance.
“This year’s award winners are doing remarkable work,” said Geoff Anderson, President and CEO of Smart Growth America. “Lee’s Summit and Mission are creating vibrant neighborhoods through strategic policy and investment decisions. Progressive Insurance is an industry leader in recognizing new trends among American drivers. Smart Growth America is proud to honor them with this year’s Leadership Awards.”
The following post originally appeared on the National Low Income Housing Coalition blog.
The home mortgage interest deduction turns 100 years old this year. Is it still doing the most it can for American families and taxpayers?
Smart Growth America recently examined the federal government’s involvement in the real estate market and its impact on homeowners, renters and communities across the country. The new report, Federal Involvement in Real Estate: A call for examination, surveys 50 federal real estate programs to better understand where this money goes and how it influences development in the United States. The spending examined in the report’s analysis includes tax expenditures, loan guarantees, and low-interest loans and grants – totaling $2.23 billion in federal spending over the five year study period.
This involvement has an enormous impact on the U.S. real estate market, and even a cursory analysis reveals this impact is uneven. Outdated programs and lack of coordination across agencies contribute to this imbalance, the report explains. As a result, many federal programs are not targeted to those most in need, are not targeted to strengthen existing communities and are not targeted to create more places with economic opportunities.