Announcing our first cohort of State Legislator Champions for Complete Streets

The State Legislator Champions Institute is our initiative to equip state legislators from across the country to effectively advocate for and support more activity-friendly transportation in their states. Today, we are proud to announce our first cohort of Champions: 20 state legislators who will receive comprehensive training to help them become Complete Streets Champions by … Continued

Complete Streets

In the Wake of Operational Uncertainty, Nuclear Host Communities are Planning for a Resilient Future

  At the 2022 Nuclear Communities Economic Resilience Conference, host communities from nine nuclear plants in the Midwest-the region that hosts more than half of the nation’s nuclear fleet-gathered to share experiences, best practices, and plan for the future. The Nuclear Communities Team– a technical assistance group led by Smart Growth America in collaboration with … Continued

Economic development Technical assistance

Four states selected for the 2022 Complete Streets Leadership Academies

The National Complete Streets Coalition is pleased to announce the selection of California, Connecticut, and Tennessee for Complete Streets Leadership Academies. In these Academies, three local jurisdictions in each state will learn about Complete Streets, explore new ways to coordinate with their state DOTs, and then plan and implement “quick-build” temporary demonstration projects on state-owned roads.

Complete Streets DOT Innovation Technical assistance Transportation

Success stories from three of our Champions Institute alumni

Graduates of Smart Growth America’s inaugural Active People, Healthy Nation Champions Institute are using what they learned to advocate for Complete Streets and safer activity-friendly routes to everyday destinations across the country. After completing the institute in 2020, Councilmember Sallie Alcorn from Houston, TX, Mayor Robyn Tannehill from Oxford, MS, and Mayor Jerry Martin from Alma, … Continued

Complete Streets

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

Uncategorized

Third session of Commonwealth Communities engages expert speakers and audience on planning for the future of transit and TOD in Commonwealth Communities

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.

Uncategorized

Our economic development team at work in Douglas, Arizona

We’re spending the rest of this summer talking about our data-driven, equity-focused approach to economic development and producing prosperous, resilient places—from the team that makes it happen. Catch up with the full series of posts, essays, and reports on this page. The economic development team at SGA often works with communities to identify strategies for … Continued

Economic development

SGA partners with North End community members to create equitable development plan

At the beginning of 2021, Smart Growth America began working with residents in the North End neighborhood of Newport, Rhode Island to create an equitable development strategy for the community, which is in the path of significant new development. To mitigate displacement and ensure that residents benefit from major public and private investments, the Smart Growth America team is working with local leaders to define a community-based vision, build capacity, and create advocacy strategies.

Economic development

SGA is partnering with T-Mobile to assist rural communities

In a unique partnership focused on bringing vital connections to rural America, Smart Growth America is helping T-Mobile give one small community a prize package worth $3 million as well as millions in smaller grants for hundreds of other rural and small town communities to reinvest in their downtowns, improve their quality of life, become … Continued

Rural Development Technical assistance

Three Washington communities selected for Complete Streets Leadership Academy


The National Complete Streets Coalition is working with Washington-based partners to launch our first ever Complete Streets Leadership Academy. After a competitive application process, the cities of Wenatchee, Airway Heights, and Arlington have been selected to participate in this program to support safer, healthier streets.

Complete Streets