If communities want to seriously reduce their carbon emissions, they must reduce the amount of driving that people need (and want) to do. That means enacting zoning reform to allow for a range of housing units and typologies, incentivizing infill development, and updating excessive parking requirements. Critical emissions thresholds are already being crossed; To stave … Continued
Smart Growth America is excited to announce the recipients of the Healing Our Highways grant program. With support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Kresge Foundation, Healing Our Highways will support creative ideas and activities that build knowledge, connection, and power within disadvantaged communities harmed by transportation systems and climate change. Beginning … Continued
Although climate change is largely bringing a rise in global average temperatures, it also makes local weather patterns, including winter weather, more erratic. Though this past winter was unusually warm, climate change, in some areas, is and will continue to bring more frequent and severe snowfall and extreme temperatures. In order to protect residents, especially … Continued
Complete Streets ensure safety for all users (with prioritization given to active modes of transportation), support local residents and businesses, and combat the inequities associated with past approaches to transportation. But Complete Streets have an added benefit—they can help communities address the climate crisis in a way that is resource-efficient, equitable, and community-oriented.
In light of rising emissions and failed climate promises, the IPCC released a report emphasizing the urgency of reducing emissions and highlighting the role of smart growth as a tactic to support emissions reduction. To prevent communities from experiencing even more harmful effects of climate change, the IPCC calls on governments and businesses to take … Continued
Yesterday, The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the agency empowered to oversee financial markets, announced a proposed rule change that would require publicly traded companies in the U.S. to disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and climate-related risks, while also indicating how these risks will impact their businesses and strategy in the future. Smart Growth … Continued
Climate change presents an urgent, existential threat to our communities, and those who are most vulnerable in our society today are disproportionately affected. Smart growth is one of our best strategies for reducing emissions and enhancing preparedness for future climate impacts.
The President’s infrastructure plan proposes major investments in affordable housing, smart growth, and affordable transportation that better connects us—with an overall goal of addressing climate change and eliminating racial and economic disparities. But how we target the funding matters as much as how much we spend.
Many Americans want to live in walkable neighborhoods that are served by rapid public transportation. But these neighborhoods are few and far between and incredibly expensive to live in. That’s because in many cities and towns, building walkable neighborhoods is illegal, putting a premium on the few dense communities that exist. The following blog is … Continued
The spread of COVID-19 has sent the United States plummeting into an unprecedented national crisis, but it has also illuminated the path forward. Smart Growth America, along with some of our programs, identified immediate executive actions and long-term policy changes that the incoming Biden administration can implement to eliminate structural inequities and address catastrophic global … Continued