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EPA announces plan to abandon Kansas City – at the cost of the city and taxpayers

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Crossposted from the Huffington Post.

To avoid small costs, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be creating big costs for everyone, including the federal government.

The EPA announced on Monday that it plans to move the Agency’s Region 7 headquarters, currently located in downtown Kansas City, Kansas, to Lenexa, a site nearly 20 miles outside of downtown. The EPA’s decision violates Executive Order 13514, which requires federal agencies to locate their offices in downtown areas and town centers whenever possible. Not following the Executive Order will cost a lot of money for everyone — including Kansas City and its businesses, EPA employees and U.S. taxpayers too.

As one of Kansas City’s major employers, EPA’s decision hurts the city, which has made great strides in the last decade to revitalize its downtown. “The EPA regional headquarters has been instrumental in our urban revitalization efforts,” Mayor Joe Reardon said in a statement on Monday, and the value of such an employer’s presence in a city’s revitalization efforts goes beyond their immediate impact. The EPA headquarters helped anchor renewed economic development in an area that had seen decades of decline, and the Agency’s decision undermines efforts to build a stronger economy in Kansas City.

The relocation will also mean increased traffic on I-35 and the higher maintenance costs associated with additional cars on the road. The Town of Lenexa projects I-35 to capacity by 2020, just 7 years into GSA’s 20-year lease. The EPA’s move will only hasten the arrival of that saturation point, creating costly delays or requiring even more (federal) money to improve conditions.

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Smart Growth America Applauds Congress for Preserving Partnership for Sustainable Communities

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 15, 2011

Washington, DC – Thanks to the hard work of both Democrats and Republicans in Congress, White House leaders and Smart Growth America’s national coalition, the final Fiscal Year 2011 continuing resolution includes comprehensive funding for the Partnership for Sustainable Communities. Smart Growth America is proud to be a leader in the effort to support these innovative federal programs that create economic growth in communities across the country.

Geoff Anderson, President and CEO of Smart Growth America, said:

“The Partnership for Sustainable Communities is an excellent investment of taxpayer dollars, and exactly the kind of economic development policy the federal government should pursue. These programs have helped communities across the country lay the foundation for stronger economies through smarter growth strategies. I want to thank all individuals, organizations, businesses and Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle who supported the Partnership in this year’s budget. I encourage the Members of Congress who supported this year’s funds to maintain their commitment to these crucial federal programs in the next fiscal year.”

Smart Growth America worked with national and state partners to lead an advocacy campaign for the Partnership for Sustainable Communities funding in the fiercely debated continuing resolutions. More than sixty national organizations signed a public letter to Congressional leaders in support of the Partnership’s programs, and more than 150 state and local organizations sent letters to their Senators voicing their support as well. Smart Growth America worked with hundreds of advocates to express their support for the Partnership programs, and activated a network of more than 40,000 partners, activists and business leaders to call and write their Representatives and Senators.

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Metropolitan Business Plans: A New Approach to Economic Growth

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Too frequently, towns and cities seek economic growth by chasing the latest fad, without considering how those short-term decisions will impact their long-term economic health. On Monday, the Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program held a forum presenting three pilot projects that helped communities create long-term evidence-based business plans.

Yesterday’s speakers included Bob Weissbourd of RW Ventures, LLC; Brad Whitehead of the Fund for Our Economic Future, Northeast Ohio Pilot Program; Eric Schinfeld of the Puget Sound Regional Council; Mayor R.T. Rybak of Minneapolis; Mayor Chris Coleman of St. Paul; Mayor Ray Stephanson of the City of Everett and Puget Sound Regional Council; Derek Douglas of the White House Domestic Policy Council; Daniel Malarkey of the Washington State Department of Commerce; Kim Nelson of Microsoft; and U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.

In cooperation with Brookings, leaders in Northeast Ohio, Minneapolis/St. Paul, and the Puget Sound region have created strategic business plans to promote resilient economic development for each region. The metropolitan business plans will help these regions capitalize on local strengths and increase capacity, allowing each local economy to better weather short-term cyclical economic fluctuations.

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High oil costs squeeze already-tight budgets for families across the country

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Last week the New America Foundation hosted a panel to discuss the rising cost of oil and different strategies for tackling the issue. Panelists touched on a variety of areas, from national security to “green jobs” to the growing need for transit-oriented development around employment centers. Most of the discussion focused on mid- to long-range changes and solutions, but one story in particular illustrated the pressing nature of our immediate oil crisis and the toll it takes on America’s families.

A couple in Maine both drive to their jobs, but the rising cost of gas has squeezed their budget so tightly that the gentleman has taken on a second job just to cover the cost of the gas he and his wife need to get to their primary jobs. The couple’s predicament paints a stark portrait of how long drives can impact families’ budgets. The couple is working more but they’re not getting ahead, at best they’re just treading water. If the husband couldn’t find a second job, would they have been forced to quit one of their jobs because they couldn’t afford the commute?

For Americans who can’t afford $3/gallon gas, public transportation options are becoming an essential way to reduce expenses. While the logical assumption would be that increased need for public transportation would lead to increased revenue and service, the opposite is happening. As many states face financial crises, local governments are cutting transportation services across the country. These service cuts lead to decreased ridership, which reduces revenue even further. Economic recovery in these areas is, in turn, slowed since cuts to public transportation often hamper workers’ ability to connect with employers.

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Turner Foundation Seeks Information on Local Green Infrastructure Projects

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From the EPA State and Local Climate and Energy Program:

Is your community investing in green infrastructure to improve air quality, lower summertime temperatures, or reduce energy costs? The Clean Water America Alliance (Alliance) is conducting a project for the Turner Foundation to engage utilities, cities, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and the private sector on green infrastructure policy. The resulting report will be used to help the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency with its national rulemaking to establish a program to reduce stormwater discharges.

If you would like to participate in this project, complete the questionnaire at the link below to submit information on your current green infrastructure implementation efforts as well as the barriers you’ve encountered. The questionnaire is intended to seek quantitative and qualitative data on the technical, financial, legal, institutional, and cultural barriers to implementing green infrastructure practices at the local, state, and federal levels of government.

Your contribution will be compiled with others to develop a report highlighting the opportunities, barriers and recommendations. The Alliance will promote and distribute the report to participants in the water sector, conservation communities, and key policy-makers, as well as other interested parties.

Respond to the questionnaire yourself, or circulate the link below to others at your organization to complete some or all of the questions, as appropriate. The deadline for survey participation is April 15, 2011.

http://www.cleanwateramericaalliance.org/gisurvey_about.php

password: GREEN

For more information, please contact Lorraine Loken at the Alliance, (202) 533-1819, or email [email protected].

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Call Congress TODAY to protect the Partnership for Sustainable Communities

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As debate over 2011’s federal budget continues to rage in Congress, funding for two major programs in the Partnership for Sustainable Communities are at risk of being completely eliminated. If you support the smart growth work being done by the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, please take a minute TODAY to call your Members of Congress to express your opposition to these cuts.

Here’s how to be an on-the-phone advocate to your Members of Congress:

  1. Call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask for the office of your Senator or Representative. The switchboard will connect you directly. Not sure who you members of Congress are? Click here to find out.
  2. Once transferred, introduce yourself with your name, organization or business and location. Explain that you support the Partnership for Sustainable Communities in both the Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 Continuing Resolution and FY 2012 Appropriations, and that you oppose:
    • Retraction of the Department of Transportation’s unspent TIGER grant funds;
    • Policy riders that would prevent the Department of Housing and Urban Development from continuing its work with the Partnership for Sustainable Communities.

    (Want to know more about these issues? You can find more information and talking points here.)

  3. Thank the staff member and end the call. Repeat steps one through three with your other Members of Congress.
  4. Share this alert with your friends and colleagues. Encourage them to tell their Congressional representatives about their support for the Partnership for Sustainable Communities.

This week is the time to act. Please call your Members of Congress today to express your support for these important federal programs.

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Call for entries: Pennsylvania's 2011 Commonwealth Awards

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Crossposted from Smart Growth America’s coalition partner organization 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania.

10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania is now accepting submissions for the 2011 Commonwealth Awards. The Commonwealth Awards honor Pennsylvania projects that incorporate smart land use, smart design, and smart growth principles, as well as individuals who have contributed to smart growth. Through these awards, 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania aims to raise awareness of projects that successfully demonstrate sound land use principles around the Commonwealth – projects that are development or redevelopment; in settings from urban to suburban to rural. The 2011 winners will be announced at a program on September 20, 2011 at the Hilton Harrisburg Hotel in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Design award guidelines: for smart growth projects in Pennsylvania
Eligible projects must be located in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the project must have been built or been under construction after January 1, 2008. In addition to one grand Gold Award winner, Silver Awards, Bronze Awards and Commendations may also be granted to projects under construction or proposed after January 1, 2008. Multi-phase projects may be evaluated and awarded based upon achievements during a specific phase. The resubmission of projects is encouraged.

Project submissions may include, but are not limited to, these project types:

  • Adaptive reuse and redevelopment
  • Brownfield re-development
  • Infill development
  • Revitalization projects
  • Transit-oriented development
  • Mixed-use development
  • Mixed income development
  • Traditional neighborhood development
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  • Town center development
  • Responsible greenfield development
  • Innovative new development – residential, commercial, industrial, recreational
  • Green/performance buildings part of and located within a type of development project listed above
  • Public building part of and located within a type of development project listed above
  • Multi-municipal plan or regional land use plan
  • Master or Site plan for a type of development project listed above
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    Individual award guidelines: nominate a smart growth champion
    Nominations are also invited to acknowledge Pennsylvanians who contribute to smart growth. Nominations are accepted in two categories: Contribution by a Citizen, and Contribution by a Public Official. Recipients will be cited for their direct contributions to smart growth and for their positive and valuable influence on their community, constituents, and peers.

    How to enter
    Visit 10000friends.org to read the full guidelines and to download the entry forms. Entries should be submitted to: Commonwealth Awards, 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania, 200 N 3rd Street, 4th Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17101. Entries are due no later than June 15, 2011.

    How to Enter the 2011 Commonwealth Awards.

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