Advocacy

The National Brownfields Coalition testifies a second time on importance of federal brownfields program

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Congress invited testimony from former National Brownfields Coalition Steering Committee member Michael Goldstein, giving the Coalition another opportunity to champion the federal brownfields program and highlight potential improvements. On Wednesday, May 7th, the House Transportation and Infrastructure and Subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment Subcommittee held a hearing focused on brownfields. Michael Goldstein, Managing … Continued

Advocacy Land Use and Development

Donate now to support better transportation options and thriving communities

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Hi Friend, I’m Beth Osborne, the Vice President of Transportation and Thriving Communities at Smart Growth America. We advocate for a transportation system that safely, affordably, and conveniently connects people of all means and abilities to jobs, services, and opportunities through multiple modes of travel. Donate now to support our advocacy efforts to reimagine our … Continued

Transportation

Show us the streets near you that are Dangerous by Design

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We are just around the corner from releasing Dangerous by Design, our national report that explores why the number of people struck and killed while walking is continuing a decade-long increase and how we continue to design and build streets that are incredibly dangerous for people walking. We want to see the streets near you where … Continued

Complete Streets Transportation

We’ll never address climate change without making it possible for people to drive less

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With transportation accounting for the largest share of carbon emissions in the U.S., we’ll never achieve ambitious climate targets or create more livable and equitable communities if we don’t find ways to allow people to get around outside of a car—or provide more housing in places where that’s already an option. Our new report shows how we can reach those targets while building a more just and equitable society.

Advocacy Climate Change Complete Streets Transportation

Policy to Practice: What does prioritizing pedestrians actually look like?

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Join us for a webinar on March 26 to hear how Minneapolis has worked to prioritize pedestrians and advance multimodal transportation through advocacy, policy, and safer street design. This is the latest installment in our monthly webinar series Complete Streets 301: Putting people first.

Complete Streets

Why I support the Complete Streets Act

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On October 25, 2019, U.S. Representative Steve Cohen convened a roundtable about Complete Streets in his district, which includes most of Memphis, TN. Local advocates and people from the city, county, and state government attended to discuss the Complete Streets Act of 2019—legislation sponsored by Rep. Cohen—and other ways the federal government could assist communities creating streets that are safer for people biking, walking, or rolling. Below are comments from Sylvia Crum, the Commute Options Program Manager at Innovate Memphis, who spoke during the roundtable.

Advocacy Complete Streets

“We are in the midst of a safety crisis in this country”

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As the number of Americans walking and biking struck and killed by drivers each year reaches highs not seen in decades, Rep. Stephen Cohen (TN-9) brought local stakeholders together in his Memphis district to address this crisis. His legislation—the Complete Streets Act of 2019—is a needed first step, but as local advocates noted, alone it won’t be enough to save lives and create the safe and modern transportation system that America needs.

Advocacy Complete Streets

A new vision for transportation

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What should we accomplish with the billions in transportation funding the federal government spends each year? That’s an open question that Congress has so far seemed unwilling to answer. New principles from our Transportation for America, program seek to paint a picture of what we can—and should—get done. Congress should take note; it’s long past time for a reset of broken federal transportation policy.

Advocacy Transportation

Working to ensure that Opportunity Zones are a force for good in your community

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With the creation of a new national academy for Opportunity Zones, Smart Growth America and our LOCUS coalition of responsible real estate investors continue to be on the forefront of helping communities use this tax incentive as a force for equitable growth that’s mutually beneficial for both investors and most importantly the people who live and do business in them. 

Economic development LOCUS Technical assistance