In the final session of Commonwealth Communities: Smart Growth Strategies for Our Emergent Future, expert speakers ranging from local municipal leaders to professional researchers discussed how to incorporate equity into zoning law. The history of zoning in the U.S. is fraught with racism and disparate impacts on communities of color and low-income communities. We have … Continued
Engaging in equitable budgeting practices is important on all levels of government, but especially at the local level, it is essential to ensure that community members are informed and empowered to participate in budgetary practices. In the next-to-last session of Commonwealth Communities: Smart Growth Strategies for Our Emergent Future, expert speakers described different tactics for promoting equity in municipal budgets. They touched on important concepts such as participatory budgeting, strategic funding opportunities, and social risk in the municipal market.
Throughout this session, speakers agreed that there needs to be a renewed focus on sustainability and resiliency in urban transportation systems in order to respond to the changing needs of riders and development as we approach a post-COVID world. In order to integrate all of these issues, there needs to be cooperation on all levels: federal, state, and local.
On Wednesday, October 20, Smart Growth America and LOCUS: Responsible Real Estate Developers and Investors held the second session of Commonwealth Communities: Smart Growth Strategies for Our Emergent Future- a 5-part virtual series of technical assistance sessions exclusively designed for Massachusetts’ elected officials and municipal staff. From October through December 2021, over a dozen expert speakers from across the country will engage audiences in a variety of discussions around walkability, small businesses, transit and TOD, equity in municipal practice, and zoning and land use regulations.
On Wednesday, October 6, Smart Growth America and LOCUS: Responsible Real Estate Developers and Investors kicked off Commonwealth Communities: Smart Growth Strategies with Make Way for Walkability.