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Smart Growth Implementation Assistance Communities Selected in 2009
EPA developed the Smart Growth Implementation Assistance (SGIA) program in response to communities' requests for help in achieving their development goals. Through this program, EPA provides technical assistance from private-sector experts to help communities find the best tools and resources to plan for growth in ways that sustain environmental and economic progress and create a high quality of life. Click here for more information about the SGIA program.
The 2009 RFA closed on April 23, 2009. One state and three localities were selected from this nationwide application process. EPA will organize multidisciplinary teams to provide direct technical assistance as specified by each community.
In addition, this year for the first time, EPA will work with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Department of Transportation to help the selected communities. Under the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, the three agencies are working together to help improve access to affordable housing, more transportation options, and lower transportation costs while protecting the environment in communities nationwide. Collaborating on assistance to these four communities will set an example for working with states, regions, and local governments across the country.
The communities selected are:
Las Cruces, New Mexico
The El Paseo corridor in Las Cruces is economically depressed but provides vital services to the surrounding low-income neighborhoods. The city wants to stimulate reinvestment in the area but wants to make sure that redevelopment preserves businesses that serve the community, protects the current residents from displacement, and creates new affordable housing and transportation options. To succeed, the city knows it must engage in a robust public input process that will address both neighborhood and regional concerns. The city will use the lessons it learns from this project to develop a public involvement plan to help implement the new regional comprehensive plan that is currently under development.
Louisville, Kentucky
The city of Louisville seeks to develop a model for retrofitting its suburban development patterns. The city requested assistance to help shift development standards from an auto-dependent design to one that supports other transportation options. The project will focus on creating a suburban center that applies smart growth principles to the local context. Drawing on a wealth of regionally used tools, such as form-based codes, design standards, and mitigation of stormwater overflow, this project aims to create vital economic centers that include housing and transportation options and protect water resources.
Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County is working to implement its recently completed Climate Protection Plan. The county has requested assistance to establish specific energy performance requirements and timelines for benchmarking, commissioning, and improving existing commercial and multifamily buildings to reduce energy consumption by 25 percent by 2020. In addition, the county wants to conduct transportation planning studies that will show how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through land use decisions. Addressing these issues will provide the tools necessary to establish metrics for achieving climate change goals, which will promote more sustainable land development patterns.
Support and partner: Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
State of California
The state of California is requesting assistance in developing a local government sustainable community framework to provide guidance to local jurisdictions in determining which combination of greenhouse gas emission reduction strategies, smart growth practices, and sustainability policies are best for their communities. This project will create a template for local government action and will provide the state with a mechanism for directing resources and assistance in a way that coordinates transportation, housing, and environmental issues.
Support and partners: California Strategic Growth Council, California Air Resources Board, California Department of Transportation, California Department of Housing and Community Development, California Natural Resources Agency, and the Institute for Local Government.
For more information about these projects or about the SGIA program, contact Kevin Nelson (nelson.kevin@epa.gov, 202-566-2835).