Comments for Smart Growth America http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:51:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Comment on Deerfield Beach aims to implement ‘complete streets’ with help from Smart Growth America by John Helfrich http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/2012/02/14/deerfield-beach-aims-to-implement-complete-streets-with-help-from-smart-growth-america/#comment-3275 John Helfrich Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:51:45 +0000 http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/?p=15558#comment-3275 What a concept! City planning that "enables safe, attractive, and comfortable access and travel for commuters of all ages and abilities, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and public transit riders.” We live in Toronto, Canada, a city that's seen rapid change and enormous growth since the 1950's. It seems that every new initiative for accessibility and safe travel comes at the expense of another group of travelers. Bike lanes been installed and removed. Cost-effective streetcar lines have eliminated accessibility and divided the neighbourhood against itself. I can't tell if it's poor city-planning or simply that we don't have wide enough streets to manage the movement of our population. We desperately need some "smart growth". What a concept! City planning that “enables safe, attractive, and comfortable access and travel for commuters of all ages and abilities, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and public transit riders.” We live in Toronto, Canada, a city that’s seen rapid change and enormous growth since the 1950′s. It seems that every new initiative for accessibility and safe travel comes at the expense of another group of travelers. Bike lanes been installed and removed. Cost-effective streetcar lines have eliminated accessibility and divided the neighbourhood against itself. I can’t tell if it’s poor city-planning or simply that we don’t have wide enough streets to manage the movement of our population. We desperately need some “smart growth”.

]]> Comment on U.S. Transportation Secretary LaHood Announces Fourth Round of Funding Under Highly Successful TIGER Program by Alex Dodds http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/2012/01/31/u-s-transportation-secretary-lahood-announces-fourth-round-of-funding-under-highly-successful-tiger-program/#comment-3273 Alex Dodds Tue, 14 Feb 2012 21:34:17 +0000 http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/?p=15156#comment-3273 Hi Vanita - You can log in to the TIGER preapplication program here: http://tiger4preapp.deloittefed.com/PreApp/Account/Register.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fpreapp%2f Hope that helps! Alex Hi Vanita -
You can log in to the TIGER preapplication program here: http://tiger4preapp.deloittefed.com/PreApp/Account/Register.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fpreapp%2f

Hope that helps!
Alex

]]> Comment on U.S. Transportation Secretary LaHood Announces Fourth Round of Funding Under Highly Successful TIGER Program by Vanita Menapace http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/2012/01/31/u-s-transportation-secretary-lahood-announces-fourth-round-of-funding-under-highly-successful-tiger-program/#comment-3272 Vanita Menapace Tue, 14 Feb 2012 21:25:17 +0000 http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/?p=15156#comment-3272 Not clear on how to apply for a Tiger IV grant. Not clear on how to apply for a Tiger IV grant.

]]> Comment on Smart Growth America and National Brownfields Coalition unite to revitalize blighted areas by LENNIE ARAUJO http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/2012/02/01/smart-growth-america-and-national-brownfields-coalition-unite-to-revitalize-blighted-areas/#comment-3258 LENNIE ARAUJO Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:44:05 +0000 http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/?p=15241#comment-3258 I very interested in Brownfields redevelopment to the extent that my exposure to them as an urban designer and planner and work in development coordination in the US, Canada, Puerto Rico, Portugal and Latin America has given me an edge in project management and coordination of mixed-use sustainable development projects and urban revitalization. In my project manager position I have been responsible for design development, day-to-day managing and coordinating stakeholders, community consultation, drafting policy documents and reports, liaison with external consultant team, clients, and community outreach on several major Strategic Growth Area Implementation Plans. Some of my accomplishments include work in a regeneration project which received the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Excellence in Brownfields Redevelopment Award I very interested in Brownfields redevelopment to the extent that my exposure to them as an urban designer and planner and work in development coordination in the US, Canada, Puerto Rico, Portugal and Latin America has given me an edge in project management and coordination of mixed-use sustainable development projects and urban revitalization.
In my project manager position I have been responsible for design development, day-to-day managing and coordinating stakeholders, community consultation, drafting policy documents and reports, liaison with external consultant team, clients, and community outreach on several major Strategic Growth Area Implementation Plans.
Some of my accomplishments include work in a regeneration project which received the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Excellence in Brownfields Redevelopment Award

]]> Comment on Septic tanks and development policy, or: How to win over one of the world’s toughest audiences by Shoreman http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/2011/10/19/septic-tanks-and-development-policy-or-how-to-win-over-one-of-the-worlds-toughest-audiences/#comment-3190 Shoreman Sun, 15 Jan 2012 22:18:12 +0000 http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/?p=13243#comment-3190 Unfortunately, Maryland's calculations with regard to WWTP are wrong, blantantly wrong. If you want the truth do the comparison yourself using the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's nitrogen footprint calculator. Sadly, MDP lies will never save the bay, just their lame jobs! Unfortunately, Maryland’s calculations with regard to WWTP are wrong, blantantly wrong. If you want the truth do the comparison yourself using the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s nitrogen footprint calculator. Sadly, MDP lies will never save the bay, just their lame jobs!

]]> Comment on 15 communities selected to receive free smart growth technical assistance by Monica Thompson http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/2011/11/16/15-communities-selected-to-receive-free-smart-growth-technical-assistance/#comment-3187 Monica Thompson Sun, 15 Jan 2012 01:11:07 +0000 http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/?p=13813#comment-3187 The only sad thing about articles such as this one is that the federal government is choosing to support only 15 smart growth initiatives nationwide with what amounts to technical assistance. If the Washington crowd could realize that urban sprawl is causing us to be motivated to go to war, to spend much more than necessary on road-building, to pollute our air through vehicle emissions, and to lose or corrupt some of our magnificent scenery that should attract more international tourists, maybe technical assistance would be a bit more widely available to metropolitan areas. Just a thought. The only sad thing about articles such as this one is that the federal government is choosing to support only 15 smart growth initiatives nationwide with what amounts to technical assistance. If the Washington crowd could realize that urban sprawl is causing us to be motivated to go to war, to spend much more than necessary on road-building, to pollute our air through vehicle emissions, and to lose or corrupt some of our magnificent scenery that should attract more international tourists, maybe technical assistance would be a bit more widely available to metropolitan areas.

Just a thought.

]]> Comment on 15 communities selected to receive free smart growth technical assistance by Roger Millar http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/2011/11/16/15-communities-selected-to-receive-free-smart-growth-technical-assistance/#comment-3095 Roger Millar Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:43:31 +0000 http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/?p=13813#comment-3095 The technical assistance is funded by the federal government and thus by those who pay federal taxes (See http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/buildingblocks.htm for more details about the program). No direct funds are being distributed to communities as part of this grant; the assistance is actually in the form of a workshop; and the workshop comes with zero federal requirements for action. The technical assistance workshops are designed to give local governments better tools to make local decisions about how resources are used. The technical assistance is funded by the federal government and thus by those who pay federal taxes (See http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/buildingblocks.htm for more details about the program). No direct funds are being distributed to communities as part of this grant; the assistance is actually in the form of a workshop; and the workshop comes with zero federal requirements for action. The technical assistance workshops are designed to give local governments better tools to make local decisions about how resources are used.

]]> Comment on The benefits of Washington DC’s Metro by Tysons Engineer http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/2011/12/12/the-benefits-of-washington-dcs-metro/#comment-3091 Tysons Engineer Sat, 17 Dec 2011 19:50:57 +0000 http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/?p=14400#comment-3091 Great story. I think you correctly point out the value that has been added by Metro, not only in Washington DC but in the Northern Virginia and Maryland region. When people say WMATA is not fiscally solvent on its own merit I think they are missing out the hidden benefits that having a viable mass transit system brings economically to a region. Numerous federal and private corporations site one of the reasons for office relocation to this region is the metro system which allows for the work force to access both the office and client sites in minutes as opposed to hours with cars. Additionally most economic reports on metro don't provide the hidden cost benefit of the reduction of road that Metro provides as an allowance, and as every traffic engineer knows behind road projects is the initial capital cost as well as the crippling maintenance costs that are encountered with most highway projects. Great story. I think you correctly point out the value that has been added by Metro, not only in Washington DC but in the Northern Virginia and Maryland region. When people say WMATA is not fiscally solvent on its own merit I think they are missing out the hidden benefits that having a viable mass transit system brings economically to a region. Numerous federal and private corporations site one of the reasons for office relocation to this region is the metro system which allows for the work force to access both the office and client sites in minutes as opposed to hours with cars. Additionally most economic reports on metro don’t provide the hidden cost benefit of the reduction of road that Metro provides as an allowance, and as every traffic engineer knows behind road projects is the initial capital cost as well as the crippling maintenance costs that are encountered with most highway projects.

]]> Comment on Speak out for EPA’s Office of Sustainable Communities by Thomas Lofft http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/2011/12/09/speak-out-for-epas-office-of-sustainable-communities/#comment-3058 Thomas Lofft Mon, 12 Dec 2011 01:34:46 +0000 http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/?p=14240#comment-3058 I have never seen any actual examples of this office's efforts or accomplishments. When was it initiated? What has been its budget? Who are its administrators? What are their qualifications and personal accomplishments? What has the agency accomplished? What justifies its continued existence vs. assigning its responsibilities to some other more productive agency? I have never seen any actual examples of this office’s efforts or accomplishments. When was it initiated? What has been its budget? Who are its administrators? What are their qualifications and personal accomplishments? What has the agency accomplished? What justifies its continued existence vs. assigning its responsibilities to some other more productive agency?

]]> Comment on Speak out for EPA’s Office of Sustainable Communities by Charnel Hill-George http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/2011/12/09/speak-out-for-epas-office-of-sustainable-communities/#comment-3055 Charnel Hill-George Sat, 10 Dec 2011 21:03:33 +0000 http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/?p=14240#comment-3055 South Dakota needs the Office Sustainable Communities to reach out to us. Please do not let the Office get cut before the sustainability purposes are started. Thank you for helping South Dakotans work together for sustainable solutions for ourselves that works with the rest of America!--Peever, SD South Dakota needs the Office Sustainable Communities to reach out to us. Please do not let the Office get cut before the sustainability purposes are started.
Thank you for helping South Dakotans work together for sustainable solutions for ourselves that works with the rest of America!–Peever, SD

]]>