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
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
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
Our newest video tells the story of how Tucson’s community is building both advocacy for and physical implementations of Complete Streets while putting equity at the center of the work.
What you need to know about joining the Equity Summit next week, answers to your frequently asked questions, and more!
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.
Some may think of smart growth as a physical form of development, but in a simpler sense it’s deciding how to best use limited resources when it comes to choices about land use, housing, development, and infrastructure. Our economic development team is at the core of SGA’s work to move the needle on these questions across the country.
Improving racial and social equity is directly connected to building strong local economies, but there’s a mistaken perception that those goals are opposed to one another. Done right, both goals are not just achievable, but essential to a smart growth approach. We’re going to spend the rest of the summer explaining how and why.
Earlier in 2021, we hosted the first-ever Smart Growth America Equity Summit. The new discussion guides, based on the summit’s content, can help you produce tangible smart growth changes in your community. Back in January, SGA held a three day virtual summit to discuss how to center improving racial equity in smart growth work. The … Continued