Equity

Beyond infrastructure development: Fostering sustainable, urban development in cities across the globe

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In a moderated panel discussion, hosted in New Delhi, India, several land use experts brainstormed how governments can advance people-centered communities that include green infrastructure as a central focal point of the community. Additionally, they examined the similarities between developing communities in the Global South and smaller communities in the U.S. Good communities don’t just … Continued

Land Use and Development

The Equity Summit returns *in person* in March 2024

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Save the date for the Equity Summit Save the date for the 2024 Equity Summit: Meeting the Moment. The Summit gathers housing, transportation, and community development advocates and leaders to learn from one another and identify tools to advance racial equity through smart growth. The dynamic two-day program will be held in person for the first time on March 27-28, … Continued

Advancing Racial Equity

EPA delivers for rural and low-income communities

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Smart Growth America helped organize a coalition that urged the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to allow climate funds to go towards adaptive reuse projects in location-efficient areas. The decision by the EPA to grant this funding is a climate justice win. Thousands of buildings lie vacant in rural and low-income communities, and not for lack … Continued

Advocacy

New White House actions on equitable community development

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Building on its earlier series of executive orders on advancing racial equity and supporting underserved communities (EO 13985 and 14091), the Biden administration has announced a series of interagency actions and principles to strengthen equitable urban development. The proposed actions address federal infrastructure investment, land use, housing, and regional planning policies.

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Meeting resident needs in the North End of Newport

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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