New zoning reform technical assistance program in Massachusetts

Smart Growth America is launching a new technical assistance (TA) program to support equitable development and housing attainability in Massachusetts thanks to generous funding from The Barr Foundation.  The program is designed to provide community-based organizations with the skills and tools needed to advance sustainable equitable development and affordable housing, and support generational wealth creation … Continued

Land Use and Development Technical assistance Zoning

SGA selected to administer HUD Community Compass initiative

Smart Growth America, in partnership with the National Association of Latino Community Asset Builders (NALCAB), was selected to administer technical assistance as part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s Community Compass program. In the coming months, SGA will work to support three communities in assessing their zoning constraints to delivering affordable … Continued

Land Use and Development Technical assistance Zoning

Building consensus: Congress takes on zoning

On April 28, 2023, SGA attended the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs in their hearing, “Building Consensus to Address Housing Challenges.” At the hearing, senators recognized the housing crisis and the need to address it, and witnesses testified to various approaches to solving housing problems and delivering more much-needed housing affordable to … Continued

Land Use and Development

All eyes on Congress as they negotiate a fourth phase of COVID-19 relief


With the country still in urgent need of more economic relief from the pandemic, Congress continues to be deadlocked on producing a legislative package. In the latest proposal, Senate Republicans unveiled the Health, Economic Assistance, Liability Protection, and Schools (HEALS) Act last week—their latest legislative response to COVID-19 following the HEROES Act passed by the House more than two months ago.

LOCUS

House’s massive infrastructure bill brings housing, land use and transportation together

This week the House will consider the Moving Forward Act, a $1.5 trillion infrastructure bill that reflects many of Smart Growth America’s core priorities, including a new kind of transportation bill, billions to invest in new or rehabilitated affordable housing, and support for more inclusive and equitable development around transit to help give more Americans access to opportunity. 

Advocacy Complete Streets Economic development LOCUS Resilience Transportation

Getting the pulse of Richmond, VA


This month on Building Better Communities with Transit we’re joined by Maritza Pechin, a planner with AECOM who works with city staff in Richmond on long-range planning. On the podcast, Maritza talks about the Pulse and the broader bus network redesign that was rolled out at the same time. In a wide ranging conversation, Jeff Wood and Maritza discuss how the new system is bring people back to transit, how the city might tackle housing affordability, and what big ideas the city is considering for the future.

Uncategorized

How can your city snag the next Amazon HQ2?


With all of the attention showered on “Crystal City” (Arlington, VA adjacent to DC) and Long Island City (Queens, New York City) after being selected as Amazon’s second/third headquarters, what are the lessons to learn for the 236 other disappointed communities, and what strategies could improve their future prospects?

Economic development

“An international model” for transit-oriented development


This month on Building Better Communities with Transit we’re joined by Bill Sirois, Senior Manager, Transit Oriented Communities with RTD in Denver. Bill chats about the success of the transit agency’s TOD program, the project to rehabilitate the historic Union Station (and the area surrounding it), and what comes next when the current period of transit expansion comes to a close.

Economic development Transportation