The Federal Highway Administration has posted updated information on pilot projects under its Eco-Logical grant program, which funds efforts to integrate ecosystem conservation into infrastructure development. The updated information reflects the current activities of the 15 Eco-Logical grant recipients, which include state and local transportation agencies, state resource agencies, metropolitan planning organizations, local governments, nongovernmental organizations, and one university. For more information, link to FHWA's Eco-Logical website. (12-11-08)

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The Environmental Protection Agency has announced the recipients of its 2008 National Awards for Smart Growth Achievement. The agency recognized the Silver Spring Regional Center in Maryland; the Atlanta Regional Commission; the Urban Edge Housing Corp. in Roxbury, Mass.; and Mercy Housing California and the San Francisco Housing Authority for “innovative approaches to development that expand economic opportunity and protect public health and the environment.’’ For more information, link to EPA’s National Awards for Smart Growth Achievement website. (11-19-08)

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A new handbook for citizens and elected officials on planning and land use laws and practices in the state of Georgia has been developed by the Livable Communities Coalition, a group of organization supporting smart growth and development in the Atlanta metro area. The guide features an overview and history of planning in the state; frequently asked questions about land use law; population and demographic trends affecting future development; techniques for shaping growth, such as transportation corridors and brownfields development; and best practices in citizen engagement. For more information, link to Guiding Growth and Development in Georgia: A Handbook on Planning and Land Use Law and Practices. (11-12-08)

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Communities in Connecticut, Florida, and New York will receive technical assistance from the Environmental Protection Agency to implement smart growth principles, the agency announces. Recipients include the Capitol Regional Council of Government of Connecticut; Miami-Dade County, Fla.; and the City of New York’s Office of Comprehensive Neighborhood Economic Development. For more information, link to 2008 Smart Growth Implementation Assistance Communities.  (10-19-08)

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The American Planning Association has announced its 2008 list of Great Places in America, representing 21 states and the District of Columbia.  Designations include ten Great Streets, ten Great Neighborhoods, and ten Great Public Spaces and are based on criteria, including architectural features, accessibility, functionality, and community involvement.  For more information, link to 2008 Great Places in America. (10-8-08)

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The Urban Land Institute has announced a new initiative to improve infrastructure decision-making by linking land use with regional transportation and sustainable development considerations. The initiative will include four District Councils to participate in a three-year program: Minneapolis, Chicago, Seattle and Florida.  The councils will define a program to address issues faced in each region to help develop models at the national level. For more information, link to the ULI announcement. (10-3-08)

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Highway and bridge project designs with environmentally sustainable features will be eligible for green certification under a new program announced by the New York State Department of Transportation. NYSDOT's "Green Leadership In Transportation and Environmental Sustainability" (Green LITES) program - the first of its kind in the nation - calls for NYSDOT to certify transportation project designs based on the extent to which they incorporate sustainable environmental choices. For more information, link to the press release. (9-16-08)

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The Iowa Department of Economic Development has published new green building criteria applicable to affordable housing and community development projects funded by the state. The Iowa Green Streets Criteria are designed to promote public health, energy efficiency, water conservation, smart locations, operational savings, and sustainable building practices. The criteria feature sections on integrated design; site location and neighborhood fabric; site improvements; water conservation; energy efficiency; environmentally beneficial materials; healthy living environment; operations and maintenance; and a Green Development Plan and Checklist. For more information, link to Iowa Green Streets Criteria and agency’s website. (9-16-08)

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A report prepared by the EPA’s Smart Growth Implementation Assistance Program for Coastal Communities documents a technical assistance project intended to provide a vision for sustainable development in Pamlico County, N.C., associated with expansion of state Highway 55. The final report describes techniques for managing development in three rural towns along Highway 55 to fulfill the community’s goals, options for maintaining the rural character of the areas along the highway between towns, implementation options, and other smart growth resources. The report also is intended to serve as a model for implementing smart growth objectives throughout the region and nation. For more information, link to Retaining Our Sense of Place by Managing Our Highway. (9-9-08)

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A new report published by Michigan State University’s Land Policy Institute provides a survey of recent smart growth developments in 12 states. The report documents the establishment of new executive-level offices to oversee smart growth programs, new bi-partisan initiatives to use smart growth to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the use of smart growth policy to improve transportation and curb sprawl, and other developments. For more information, link to Smart Growth in the States: Survey of Recent Developments. (8-1-08)

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The New York State Department of Transportation has posted on its Smart Planning Program website three products designed to illustrate the link between transportation and land use planning and to educate communities about smart growth principles. The products include a PowerPoint presentation that provides an overview for municipal planning officials on the relationship between smart growth and transportation. The products also include two Smart Growth Checklists for municipal land use planning and proposed development projects. For more information, link to NYSDOT’s Land Use and Transportation Smart Planning website. (7-8-08)

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The American Planning Association has published a new reference guide to drafting and updating land use regulations titled 21^st Century Land Development Code. The guide presents a complete planning and law model code that integrates traditional Euclidean zoning with green codes, new urbanism, and smart growth and covers numerous issues, including transit-oriented development. The book and companion CD-ROM are available for purchase on the APA website. (5-13-08)

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The Urban Land Institute announced at its spring council meeting in Dallas the winners of the 2008 Awards for Excellence: The Americas competition, which recognizes projects for excellence in land use practice. The 10 winning projects fulfilled criteria such as community contribution, environmental protection and enhancement, innovation, and public/private partnerships. ULI also announced seven recipients of its semiannual community action grants for entrepreneurial programs that plan to improve urban grown in their communities. For more information, link to the 2008 Awards for Excellence press release. (5-9-08)

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A new report published by the Urban Land Institute with Ernst & Young maintains that the United States must overhaul its outdated regional infrastructure planning process or face a decline in global competitiveness. Infrastructure 2008: A Competitive Advantage, provides an overview of current and planned infrastructure investment around the world, with a focus on China, Europe, India, Japan, and the United States. According to the report, problems facing the U.S. include inadequate federal policy and guidelines leading to disconnected regional management approaches, an annual funding gap of at least $170 billion, and outmoded land use and infrastructure models. The report calls for more public/private partnerships to address the funding gap, coordination of land use and transportation planning at the state and regional levels, and new funding strategies. For more information, link to Infrastructure 2008: A Competitive Advantage. (4-29-08)

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The Conservation Fund has launched a new Green Infrastructure Community of Practice intended to serve as a collaborative network of organizations and agencies actively involved in some aspect of the green infrastructure approach to strategic environmental conservation. The fund requests that organizations submit information online about their activities, expertise, and resources in strategic conservation planning/green infrastructure. For more information and to join, link to the Green Infrastructure Community of Practice. (4-29-08)

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The Environmental and Energy Study Institute and the Urban Land Institute hosted a congressional briefing on April 25, 2008, that considered the connection between transportation policy, urban development, land use planning, and their role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The briefing focused in particular on trends toward increasing distances and time Americans spend driving due to changing land use patterns, transportation policies, congestion, and other factors and how those trends affect efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Presentations by several panelists and an audio recording of the briefing and Q&A session are available online. For more information, link to Growing Cooler: Federal Transportation and Development Policies for Climate-Friendly Communities. (4-25-08)

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The Environmental Protection Agency has published a new primer on vapor intrusion issues and redevelopment of brownfield sites. The primer presents an overview of how vapor intrusion can affect redevelopment and describes techniques for assessing vapor intrusion potential and mitigation. For more information, link to Brownfields Technology Primer: Vapor Intrusion Considerations for Redevelopment on EPA’s Brownfields and Land Revitalization Technology Support Center website. (4-8-08)

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The Sustainable Sites Initiative is soliciting case studies that use sustainable land development and management practices. The organization requests projects that monitor and document the success or failure of sustainable practices, such as stormwater management, integrated design teams, habitat restoration, materials management and selection, and others. Projects do not need to be sustainable sites in all respects, but should be illustrative of sustainable practices. Submissions are due May 1, 2008. For more information, link to Case Study Submission. (4-1-08)

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PowerPoint presentations from the 7^th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth Conference held in Feb. 7-9, 2008, in Washington, D.C., now are available online as .pdf files. For more information, link to the Smart Growth Network website. (3-18-08)

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The Environmental Protection Agency invites applications from public-sector entities that have used smart growth principles to improve communities environmentally, socially, and economically for the Seventh Annual National Award for Smart Growth Achievement. Applications are due on April 7, 2008. For more information, link to EPA’s Smart Growth website. (3-14-08)

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The Environmental Protection Agency is soliciting applications from communities, regions, and state governments for technical assistance with incorporating smart growth techniques into their future development. For 2008 the agency intends to assist three to five communities with projects such as reviewing state DOT investments to support smart growth, coordinating smart growth design with active aging programs, or reviewing subdivision regulations to support complete street networks and compact development. EPA is particularly interested in projects that address challenges associated with increasing the supply, quality, or accessibility of affordable housing in a smart growth development context. Applications are due May 8, 2008. For more information, link to EPA’s Smart Growth Implementation Assistance 2008 Request for Applications. (2-25-08)

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The U.S. Green Building Council has developed an online Database of Public Policies that allows users to search existing public policies based on criteria such as level of government, date of passage, location, type of building, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, and whether it is mandatory or incentive-based. For more information, link to the USGBC Database of Public Policies. (2-11-08)

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A new report published by the American Planning Association describes how the principles of environmental justice can be incorporated into land-use planning. The report, Fair and Healthy Land Use, cites an increase in lawsuits challenging the disproportionate effects of government decisions on low-income and minority communities. The report maintains that the principles adopted by grassroots environmental groups in opposing the siting of locally unwanted land uses in such communities are good planning principles: that individuals or neighborhoods should not be burdened by harmful environmental conditions, and that all persons should have the opportunity for meaningful participation in decisions affecting their community. The report is available for purchase on the APA website. (2-11-08)

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The Environmental Protection Agency has recognized seven communities and government agencies for outstanding community planning that implements smart growth and active aging principles as part of its inaugural Building Healthy Communities for Active Aging Awards. EPA presented the 2007 Achievement Award to the Atlanta Regional Commission and the city of Kirkland, Wash., for “overall excellence in building healthy communities for active aging.’’ The 2007 Commitment Award went to five communities and agencies that have developed and begun to initiate a plan to implement smart growth and active aging principles. For more information, link to the Excellence in Building Healthy Communities for Active Aging Awards 2007 website. (2-8-08)

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A new resource providing guidance and tools for local governments to address climate change through green buildings, green neighborhoods, and sustainable infrastructure now is available online. The Playbook for Green Buildings and Neighborhoods, developed by a consortium of local governments, nonprofits, and utilities, is designed to help promote the goals of the U.S. Conference of Majors Climate Protection Agreement. For more information, link to the Playbook. (2-5-08)

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A project summary report analyzing barriers to infill and brownfield redevelopment in the four-county Land-of-Sky Region in western North Carolina now is available online. The project, which was funded under EPA’s Smart Growth Brownfield grant program and conducted by the Land of Sky Regional Council, identified barriers such as inappropriate zoning and a lack of planning and financial incentives. The report also describes possible policy solutions for overcoming those barriers and cites efforts by some municipalities in the region to improve the regulatory climate for infill and brownfield redevelopment. For more information, link to Stimulating Infill and Brownfield Redevelopment in the Land-of-Sky Region. (2-5-08)

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The Transportation Research Board has published 10 peer-reviewed papers that address various environmental justice-related issues in Issue No. 2013 of its Transportation Research Record journal. The papers explore subjects such as environmental justice analysis for metropolitan transportation planning, environmental justice assessments for transportation projects, long-term social sustainability of transport and land use strategies, and others. For more information, link to TRB’s Environmental Justice, Social and Economic Factors, Women’s Travel, and Accessibility and Mobility 2007. (1-29-08)

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EPA has released a new plan to promote ‘’green infrastructure’’ approaches for reducing stormwater runoff, combined sewer overflows, and nonpoint source pollution. The Green Infrastructure Action Strategy, developed in partnership with a group of state and national environmental organizations, describes how states, local governments, permitting authorities, and nongovernmental organizations can use green infrastructure practices such as green roofs, trees and tree boxes, rain gardens, and porous pavements to reduce runoff from sites. The document addresses seven implementation areas: Research, Outreach and Communication, Tools, Clean Water Act Regulatory Support, Economic Viability and Funding, Demonstrations and Recognition, and Partnerships. For more information, link to Managing Wet Weather with Green Infrastructure Action Strategy 2008 on the EPA NPDES program’s Green Infrastructure web page. (1-17-08)

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The Center for Environmental Policy and Management at the University of Louisville has posted on its website a series of 19 practice guides for brownfields redevelopment. The guides, which provide advice and tools for urban and regional planners and policymakers, address topics such as identifying brownfields, using environmental insurance for brownfields redevelopment, recycling of construction and demolition debris, and historic preservation as a redevelopment option. For more information, link to the Practice Guides. (1-11-08)

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The city of Toronto has released draft guidelines for addressing urban design and environmental issues associated with surface parking lots. The draft document specifies guidelines for ‘greening’ surface parking lots through planting trees and landscaping, enhancing pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, managing stormwater on-site, reducing the urban heat island effect, and using sustainable materials and technology. For more information, link to Design Guidelines for ‘Greening’ Surface Parking Lots (Draft). (1-8-08)

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A report describing current practice for forecasting indirect land use impacts of transportation projects has been issued by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program under Project 25-25, Task 22. The report summarizes research on existing guidance documents and methodologies currently in use for conducting indirect land use impact studies. The report also describes six essential approaches for forecasting land use change in response to transportation improvements. For more information, link to Forecasting Indirect Land Use Effects of Transportation Projects, NCHRP 25-25, Task 22. (December 2007)

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