Fairfax, VA’s City Hall, where next week’s meeting will take place. Photo by TJ Hanton via Flickr.
Smart Growth America is headed to Fairfax, VA next week to meet with local officials and residents about the city’s development policies and regulations, as well as its approach toward the continued investment in high-quality public infrastructure.
“In positioning the city for a sound and viable economic future, we must examine our approach toward development and growth in a strategic manner,” said Mayor R. Scott Silverthorne. “As budgets have tightened in recent years due to the downturn in the economy, maintaining the hallmark services for which the city is known remains challenging.”
“Managing spending in the most efficient and effective manner while promoting economic development is absolutely critical toward the city continuing to be the community of choice in our region” he continued. “The opportunity to partner with Smart Growth America and conduct a dialogue with the community about development strategies, infrastructure improvements, and the policy framework under which the city moves forward is extremely timely.”
Fairfax residents and business community members are invited to join the workshop’s first day for an introductory presentation that will feature a broad overview of strategies for economic and fiscal health. The event will be held June 6, 2013 at 7:00 PM at Fairfax City Hall (10455 Armstrong Street) in the City Council Chambers, Room 100.
“Smart Growth America is committed to providing training to help local community leaders keep cities and towns livable, sustainable and vital places,” said Roger Millar, Director of Smart Growth America’s Leadership Institute. “Like many communities, Fairfax is in transition. This creates a unique opportunity for the City to consider smart growth strategies that support a thriving local economy in the changing market and are more fiscally sustainable.”
In November 2012, the City of Fairfax was one of 22 communities selected by Smart Growth America to participate in 2013’s free technical assistance program. Stretching from Maine to Washington State, the selected communities represent major cities, suburban centers, and rural towns alike.
The program is made possible through a five-year Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Sustainable Communities, and seeks to develop local planning solutions that help communities grow in ways that benefit families and businesses while protecting the environment and preserving a sense of place. Three other nonprofit organizations—Forterra, Global Green USA and Project for Public Spaces—also received competitively awarded grants under this program to help communities get the kinds of development they want.
Workshop Materials:
- Planning for Economic and Fiscal Health Tool Description (PDF)
- Evening Presentation (PDF)
- Fairfax: Next Steps Memo (PDF)
- Fairfax: Progress Report – 1 month (PDF)
- Fairfax: Progress Report – 6 months (PDF)
- Fairfax: Progress Report – 12 months (PDF)
Workshop Outcomes: