Meeting resident needs in the North End of Newport

Smart Growth America and the North End Local Advocacy Group co-created the North End Equitable Development Strategy (NEEDS) to serve as a roadmap for equitable development in the North End neighborhood of Newport, Rhode Island.  The NEEDS evolved over months of collaboration and is intended to advance policy changes that will make their neighborhood a … Continued

Technical assistance

SGA Statement on the Inflation Reduction Act

In addition to important health and tax provisions, the Inflation Reduction Act is the single-largest investment to support the fight against climate change in U.S. history. Through a workaround called budget reconciliation, Senate Democrats passed this legislation with a simple 51-50 majority, and the House of Representatives passed the measure with Democrat support on a … Continued

Climate Change

Traffic enforcement cannot do the job of better roadway design

After reading a report like this, some reporters, residents, and local leaders may be tempted to reach for increased traffic enforcement and financial penalties as an obvious solution. But relying on enforcement and financial penalties to solve issues that stem from street design cannot solve the epidemic of traffic fatalities. And even a simple traffic … Continued

Complete Streets Transportation

Smart Growth America’s Equity Forum: Upending Cultural Displacement

Smart Growth America’s Equity Forum: Upending Cultural Displacement on July 13, 2022 is a continuation of our year-round equity programming—anchored by the Equity Summit programming focused on advancing racial equity through smart growth. Our speakers will share their unique stories and key strategies to assist advocates, planners, developers, and elected officials in better understanding and mitigating the various forms of cultural displacement affecting communities across the country.

Events

Six systemic barriers that led to inequitable COVID-19 responses

While the intent of the COVID-19 emergency-response projects across the country was to retrofit our built and living environments to serve the changing needs and “new normals” generated by the pandemic, people’s experiences navigating their community varied widely. This is the second post in our series profiling findings from our recently released field scan, Shared … Continued

Complete Streets Resilience Transportation

Biden Equity Action Plan impacts on housing and land use

The Biden Administration showcased its intentions to embed equity throughout the federal government with the recent release of the first-ever Equity Actions Plans for over 90 federal agencies. The plans detail department-specific goals and operational priorities to improve the delivery of equitable outcomes for all Americans through systemic reforms and investments in historically underserved communities. … Continued

LOCUS

What did we learn about public spaces and health equity during the pandemic? 

During COVID-19, expanded public spaces, wider sidewalks, and increased active transportation options became critical for providing opportunities for physical activity, accessing essential needs, and safely getting outdoors. But the burden of vulnerability to the pandemic was not spread evenly across our communities. Our newly released field scan explores how decision-makers did (or did not) account … Continued

Complete Streets Transportation

Last session of Commonwealth Communities ends with informative conversation on zoning reform

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

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