Partnership

Partnership in the News: Port Richmond Trail restoration project breaks ground

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Recently, a 1.5 mile stretch of the Port Richmond Trail broke ground. Once completed, the project will reconstruct and improve 16.3 miles of pedestrian and bicycle trails that are part of a 128-mile regional network of trails throughout the Philadelphia region, with the help of a $23 million TIGER grant from the Department of Transportation.

U.S. Representative Allyson Schwartz, a key player in securing the TIGER grant, had this to say about the project:

“Reconnecting northeast Philadelphia communities with the Delaware River matters deeply to the residents of northeast Philadelphia, for both improved recreational opportunities and to build towards greater local economic development efforts.”

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Upcoming Webinars: November 2012

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Tuesday, November 6 and Tuesday, November 13 3:00-4:00pm ET. Join the National Endowment for the Arts to learn how organizations can apply to the 2013 Our Town program.

Tuesday, November 13, 1:00-2:40pm ET. The Power of People: Engaging Stakeholders in Your Community’s Projects. Join NACo to learn strategies for county staff to engage elected officials and other community leaders in community planning projects.

Thursday, November 15, 1:00-2:15pm ET. Join the City of Moline, IL, the City of Cincinnati, OH, and the HUD-DOT-EPA Partnership for Sustainable Communities for a discussion of transit-oriented development (TOD) projects in each city.

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Partnership in the News: Sustain Southern Maine wins over more residents

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On Monday, October 15, Sustain Southern Maine, a recipient of a HUD Regional Planning grant, held an informational meeting in Eliot, Maine to  inform residents of their planning efforts and invite the community to participate. Sustain Southern Maine is a coalition of municipalities, non-profit organizations, and businesses working to generate positive regional development.

In light of the challenges being faced by Southern Maine communities, including lack of quality educational and employment opportunities, limited housing options, dependence on oil for heating homes and motor vehicle transportation, insufficient infrastructure for sewer, water, telecommunications and other services, and lack of services for the elderly, Sustain Southern Maine aims to promote public transportation, affordable housing, economic competitiveness, preservation of local character, and the coordination of land-use policies and investment.

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Partnership in the News: Anacostia Riverwalk Trail plan revealed

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On Monday, October 15, federal and state officials from Maryland and the District of Columbia held an event to announce a four-mile portion of the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail that will be known as the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens segment and will be funded largely by a 2012 DOT TIGER grant.

The trail is a broader effort to bring development and activity to the Anacostia waterfront, as it connects 60 miles of trails in Maryland and throughout the District. Mayor of D.C. Vincent Gray had this to say about the project:

“This latest segment of the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail is an important part of the Anacostia Waterfront Initiative’s efforts to create a healthy, green, equitable and prosperous city – goals that go hand-in-hand with my Sustainable DC plan. I’m excited today to unveil the trail’s unique design, which will give the public a window into the host of benefits this new regional trail link will provide to our neighbors in Maryland as well. We look forward to continued collaboration with our regional and federal partners as we move forward with construction and press ahead with our efforts to create a world-class Anacostia Riverfront in our city.”

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New green building resources for HUD grantees

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The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced a new initiative to offer green building training to their grantees and other affordable housing organizations. The free courses include Introduction to Green Building for Affordable Housing, Executive Decision Making, Best Practices for Green Building Operations and Maintenance, Financing Green Building, and Energy Performance Contracting for Small PHAs.

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Partnership in the News: Tulsa, OK poised to clean up brownfields

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With the help of a $175,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Tulsa, Oklahoma is in the final stages of a brownfield redevelopment plan that includes six properties throughout the city. The grant will help Tulsa clean up the sites and thus serve as a catalyst for broader revitalization and redevelopment efforts. On cleaning up one of the former industrial sites, Mayor Dewey Bartlett said:

“This could be a great asset to the city, contributing to the tax rolls and the business community. We just have to get it there.”

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Partnership in the News: BRT gains traction in Madison, WI

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On September 10, the Metropolitan Planning Organization, Capital Region Sustainable Communities, and Capital Area Regional Planning Commission – all organizations of the city of Madison, Wisconsin – met together to present a study carried out by the city testing the idea of a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) route to the public and receive feedback.

This initial meeting was meant to introduce the idea to the public, with the next round of feedback involving more public input on specifics of the plan, including stop location, frequency, and stop amenities, among other things, according to Joe Kern, Project Manager of SRF Consulting.

The study was funded by a three-year HUD Regional Planning Grant.

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Funding Opportunity: Brownfields Area-Wide Planning Grants

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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announces $4,000,000 in funding for brownfields. The Brownfields Area-Wide Planning Grant program facilitates community involvement as well as the research, training, and technical assistance necessary for brownfields assessment, cleanup, and subsequent reuse.

Brownfields area-wide planning grant funding must be directed to specific areas affected by either a single large site or multiple brownfield sites, such as a neighborhood, downtown district, city block, or local commercial corridor. The grant funding will result in an area-wide plan, including implementation strategies, for the brownfields-affected area. The brownfields area-wide plan will inform the assessment, cleanup, and reuse of brownfield properties and promote area-wide revitalization.

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Partnership in the News: Forming a vision for the future of business in North Adams, MA

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On September 12, local business owners convened at a workshop in North Adams, MA to voice their concerns and priorities for the future of business in their area. This meeting was part of an effort to form a Master Plan for the city, a part of the broader Sustainable Berkshires initiative, funded with grant support from a HUD Regional Planning Grant.

Mayor Richard J. Alcombright emphasized the city’s need for a growth plan, saying,

“This is a very important process for the city, which, on a whole, hasn’t had a master road map in 40 years. Coming from the business world, we always had a plan. It needs to be a design that is in a very bendable, soft cover book, because it needs to be a fluid road map to success. It needs to keep the community on track, but also allows us to change direction. We are definitely a city that is at a crossroads. Our immediate need is growth, and a good solid plan is key to that.”

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Upcoming Webinars: October 2012

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Wednesday, October 3, 2:00-3:15pm ET. Register for the NALGEP Brownfield Communities Network webinar today and gain valuable information about the recently announced grant guidelines and Request for Proposals for the EPA’s FY2013 Brownfields Area-Wide Planning Program.

Thursday, October 4, 3:00-4:00pm ET. EPA’s Office of Sustainable Communities will conduct a webinar on free technical assistance available to communities through EPA’s Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities Program.

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