White House announces Strong Cities, Strong Communities initiative

The White House announced a new program today that will help communities across the country make their smart growth plans a reality. Strong Cities, Strong Communities is a new interagency pilot initiative that aims to strengthen neighborhoods, towns, cities and regions around the country by strengthening the capacity of local governments to develop and execute their economic vision and strategies. Speaking in a video about the new program, Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy and the Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council Melody Barnes explained that Strong Cities, Strong Communities will support local governments by providing necessary technical assistance and access to federal agency expertise, and creating new public and private sector partnerships.

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Celebrating Two Years of Partnership: webinar materials now online

On June 16, 2009, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) joined together to help communities nationwide improve access to affordable housing, increase transportation options, and lower transportation costs while protecting the environment to better support local economies.

Beth Osborne, Deputy Assistant Secretary, DOT; Shelley Poticha, Director, Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities, HUD; John Frece, Director, Office of Sustainable Communities, EPA; and Derek Douglas, Special Assistant to the President for Urban Affairs joined Smart Growth America’s Sustainable Communities Network on Thursday, June 17 for a webinar to discuss the Partnership’s success over the past two years and what’s next for this dynamic interagency alliance.

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Tim Geithner on middle-class jobs and long-term growth

Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner with CNBC anchor Erin Burnett at the Port of Tacoma, WA. Photo: Flickr/Port of Tacoma

In a post on the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s website today Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner voices his support for infrastructure investments as a tool for economic growth. Geithner explains that “targeted infrastructure investments are a necessary component of creating the middle-class jobs we need now and strengthening our foundation for future economic growth.”

Today’s post comes on the heels of October 2010’s Economic Analysis of Infrastructure Investment, a report by the Treasury which reiterated the fact that well designed infrastructure investments have long term economic benefits that disproportionately benefit the middle class. The report also noted that there is currently a high level of underutilized resources that can be used to improve and expand our infrastructure, as well as strong demand by the public and businesses for additional transportation infrastructure investments. From Treasury.gov:

Well-targeted infrastructure investments create both immediate and long-term economic benefits. Those benefits accrue not only where the infrastructure is located but also to communities all across the country.

When the Port of Seattle improves its connection with local freight railroads, it creates construction jobs for local workers – but the project’s benefits extend far across the heartland. By making it cheaper to transport cargo, this improvement will allow cattle ranchers in rural Montana to ship their beef to new markets across the world. Consumers who purchase imported goods and American businesses that are expanding their exports enjoy lower prices and improved access to new markets and goods…

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HUD, DOT, EPA and White House announce "unprecedented collaboration" supporting sustainable communities to "create good jobs today"

Melody Barnes, Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, at a press conference on the Partnership for Sustainable Communities today.

Leaders of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the White House joined together today to discuss the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, a joint effort between the three agencies to use taxpayer money more efficiently by coordinating federal investments to meet multiple economic, environmental, and community objectives with each dollar spent. This week, the Partnership has awarded a combined $400 million to communities across the country to help plan and build sustainable communities. Ray LaHood, U.S. Secretary of Transportation, called this an “unprecedented collaboration.”

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