The Northeast-Midwest Institute has published a report on the Revitalizing Older Cities Capitol Hill Summit it hosted Feb. 11-12, 2009, in Washington, D.C. The summit brought together members of Congress, majors and city officials, developers, and other stakeholders from older industrial cities in the Northeast and Midwest to develop an agenda for changing federal policies that contribute to sprawl and encouraging investment in older cities and towns. Participants began the development of a federal agenda for revitalization that addresses the issues of transportation, housing, water infrastructure, vacant properties and brownfields, economic and workforce development, and green jobs and sustainable cities. For more information, link to the Report on the Revitalizing Older Cities Capitol Hill Summit. (4-6-09)

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Over 230 PowerPoint presentations from the 2009 New Partners for Smart Growth Conference held on Jan. 22-24, 2009, in Albuquerque, N.M., now are available online as .pdf files, courtesy of the Local Government Commission. For more information, link to the Smart Growth Network website. (3-17-09)

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States and cities should devote funds aimed at stimulating the economy to a broad range of transportation solutions, going beyond new highway construction, according to a report issued by Smart Growth America. The report lists five categories and 20 types of projects that states and cities should focus stimulus funding on, including: “fix it first” projects to repair existing roads and bridges; projects to upgrade and expand public transit; “active options” such as pedestrian and bicycle improvements and trails; improvements to ease congestion and improve freight connections; and projects that improve communities and provide better transportation/land use connections. The report provides examples for each type of project. For more information, link to Spending the Stimulus: How Your State Can Put Thousands Back to Work by Jumpstarting a 21st Century Transportation System. (3-11-09)

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A report published by a coalition of national, regional, and state land conservation and outdoor recreation groups describes a decline in funding of two key federal land conservation programs and recommends that funding be restored. The report cites declines in funding of the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which supports the creation and maintenance of state, local, and national parks, forests, and wildlife areas. According to the report, the funding declines have in particular led to the deterioration of state and local parks and recreation areas, which depend on funding from the LWCF state grant component. The report also cites a need for funding of the U.S. Forest Service’s Forest Legacy Program, which supports partnerships with private landowners to maintain working forests. Both programs are funded primarily from federal offshore oil revenues, which according to the report have historically been diverted from land conservation to other uses. The report recommends that Congress and the new administration provide full and dedicated funding of $900 million annually for the LWCF federal and state grant programs and an annual allocation of $125 million for the U.S. Forest Service’s Forest Legacy Program. For more information, link to Conserving America’s Landscapes. (3-3-09)

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A new report published by the Environmental Protection Agency examines building trends in the 50 largest U.S. metropolitan areas from 1990 to 2007, documenting a shift in residential development from suburban and exurban communities towards urban centers. The report concludes that while a large share of residential construction remains on undeveloped land at the urban fringe, over half of the larger metro areas examined have seen a sharp increase in residential building permits in central cities and older suburbs. The report also cites factors driving this trend, including increased demand for homes in walkable communities near high-paying jobs, and discusses implications for smart growth. For more information, link to Residential Construction Trends in America’s Metropolitan Regions. (2-27-09)

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The Environmental Protection Agency is soliciting applications for its eighth annual National Award for Smart Growth Achievement, which recognizes communities that use smart growth to create better places. Eligible applicants include public and public-sector entities that have successfully used smart growth principles to improve communities environmentally, socially, and economically. For 2009 applications will be accepted in five categories: built projects; policies and regulations; smart growth and green building; smart growth wtreets; and overall excellence in smart growth. Applications are due on April 23, 2009. For more information, link to EPA’s Smart Growth website. (2-26-09)

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The American Planning Association has launched an online database of case studies and other resources to help communities integrate energy and climate change issues into planning. The database, which was developed in collaboration with the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, is searchable by region, state, type of planning tool, topic, time frame, scale, or community size. For more information, link to the Planners Energy and Climate Change Database. (2-23-09)

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The Environmental Protection Agency is seeking applications for technical assistance from communities that want to incorporate smart growth in their future development to meet environmental and other community goals. Eligible applicants include tribal, local, regional, and state governments, and nonprofit organizations that have a demonstrated partnership with a governmental entity. Applications are due April 23, 2009. For more information, link to Smart Growth Implementation Assistance 2009 Request for Applications. (2-18-09)

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A report published by the Urban Land Institute’s Terwilliger Center for Workforce Housing examines the combined housing and transportation cost burdens on workers in the Washington, D.C. metro area, who must “drive ‘till they qualify” for housing, incurring higher transportation costs that erode their housing cost savings. The report presents a jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction overview of the combined cost to working families, finding that increases in transportation costs begin to offset housing savings when working families locate roughly 15 to 17 miles from employment centers. The report offers policy suggestions including creating more affordable housing in desirable areas close to transit hubs and employment centers and promoting compact development patterns over sprawl. In conjunction with the report, ULI has released the Terwilliger Cost Calculator, an online tool designed to help consumers calculate their combined housing and transportation costs in the greater Washington, D.C. region. For more information, link to Beltway Burden: The Combined Cost of Housing and Transportation in the Greater Washington, DC Metropolitan Area. (2-9-09)

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Presentations on the potential effects of transportation funding developments on community preservation and the environment have been posted on Pennsylvania’s Statewide Conference on Heritage website. The resources stem from a session at the 2008 conference, Protecting Pennsylvania’s Historic Resources: A Conference on Transportation, Heritage and the Environment. Links include two essays, three PowerPoint presentations, and a video of the roundtable discussion. To access the information link to the Statewide Conference on Heritage website. (January 2009)

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The Environmental Protection Agency has recognized three communities and a local government agency for outstanding community planning and strategies that support smart growth and active aging principles as part of its Building Healthy Communities for Active Aging Awards. EPA presented the 2008 Achievement Award to Portland, Oregon’s Bureau of Parks & Recreation and Bureau of Transportation for developing their Senior Strolls and Senior Bike programs. The 2008 Commitment Award went to the communities of Casper, Wyo.; Iowa City, Iowa; and Satellite Beach, Fla. for their efforts to integrate smart growth and active aging. For 2009, EPA has added a new category for neighborhood and governmental or nongovernmental organizations. Applications are due July 17, 2009. For more information, link to the Excellence in Building Healthy Communities for Active Aging Awards program. (2-5-09)

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A report published by the Center for Transit-Oriented Development presents the results of a follow-up study to its April 2007 report, “Realizing the Potential: Expanding Housing Opportunities Near Transit.” That report, prepared for the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Transit Administration, evaluated the mechanisms used to promote mixed-income housing near transit in five case study regions. The follow-up report documents changes from April 2007 to April 2008 in the phasing of transit infrastructure, the housing market, regional and local policy, and political leadership and how they have affected the opportunities for housing in the five transit corridors studied. For more information, link to an executive summary and the full report, Realizing the Potential: One Year Later – Housing Opportunities Near Transit in a Changing Market. (2-4-09)

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The U.S. Green Building Council has published a list of frequently asked questions about the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Neighborhood Development program launched jointly by the council, the Congress for New Urbanism, and the Natural Resources Defense Council. The LEED rating system is being developed to integrate the principles of smart growth, new urbanism, and green building into the first national standard for neighborhood design. The document describes the program and includes the anticipated launch dates for the post-pilot program. For more information, link to Frequently Asked Questions About LEED for Neighborhood Development. (2-3-09)

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The Environmental Protection Agency Region 7 has announced the availability of an online tutorial to assist local governments and community groups with their applications for an anticipated $3 million in 2009 funding under the Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) grant program. The program is intended to help communities address multiple sources of toxic pollutants in their environment. The online tutorial, developed by EPA contractor Three Star Enterprises, is designed to take applicants through all aspects of writing a competitive grant submission. The deadline for submitted 2009 CARE grant requests for proposals is March 16, 2009. For more information, link to the EPA CARE Online Grant Writing Tutorial and the CARE program website. (2-3-09)

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The Southern Environmental Law Center has announced its 2009 list of the top 10 most endangered areas in the southeastern United States due to threats from growth and development, including highway and energy projects. The areas selected span six states and include the Interstate 81 Corridor in Virginia and Johns Island in South Carolina. The advocacy group believes that decisions affecting the areas on its list could set precedent on environmental issues affecting the rest of the nation, such as global warming, air quality, and land conservation. For more information, link to the Top 10 Most Endangered Areas in the South for 2009. (1-5-09)

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The Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs has launched an online Smart Growth/Smart Energy Toolkit with information on policies and techniques for planning, zoning, subdivision, site design, and building construction that promote smarter energy and land use. The website includes links to modules, case studies, slideshows, model bylaws, state policies and initiatives, and other resources. For more information, link to the Smart Growth/Smart Energy Toolkit. (12-30-08)

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The American Planning Association is accepting suggestions for streets, neighborhoods, and public spaces to be designated as 2009 Great Places in America. APA annually recognizes places “of exemplary character, quality, and planning” based on criteria such as architectural features, accessibility, functionality, community involvement, and other factors including geography and sustainable development. The places selected will be recognized by APA during National Community Planning Month in October 2009. For more information, link to Great Places in America. (12-23-08)

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