The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently announced an additional $67 million investment in stronger, more sustainable communities that connect housing to jobs while fostering local innovation and building a clean energy economy.
A webinar jointly hosted by Smart Growth America and the American Planning Association last week provided tips from past Partnership for Sustainable Communities grant recipients, advice from a firm that has written several successful applications, and information about criteria that the Partnership uses to grade applications. Presenting at the webinar were Tim Torma, Deputy Director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Sustainable Communities. The Office of Sustainable Communities coordinates with other agencies as well as state and local governments to promote smart growth. Also presenting was David Rouse, AICP, a principal with the planning and design firm Wallace Roberts & Todd based in Philadelphia. He has been involved with a number of 2010 Sustainable Communities grant applications, including WRT’s current work as a subgrantee for the New River Valley Regional Consortium in Virginia.
Jeff Hirt, Sustainable Planning Project Manager at the Mid-America Regional Council in Kansas City, MO, also presented. With more than 60 regional partners, the Mid-America Regional Council received a $4.25 million planning grant from HUD for the implementation of the Regional Plan for Sustainable Development, a Category 2 grant. And finally Mark Kirstner, Senior Transportation Planner with the Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation, and the project manager for the Piedmont Triad Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Project also presented on the webinar. The Piedmont project is a $1.6 million Regional Planning Grant Program.
Smart Growth America’s Sustainable Communities Network is an opportunity for state and local government officials, business leaders and nonprofit professionals to ask questions, learn best practices, and share project ideas with others from around the country. The network also shares updates about federal initiatives, upcoming events, webinars and conferences to support vibrant, sustainable communities. Join Smart Growth America’s growing network to gain access to resources, opportunities and events.