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With a diverse range of career opportunities, we offer a dynamic and inclusive work environment where you can make a meaningful impact. Whether you're passionate about transportation, land use, economic development, or policy advocacy, Smart Growth America is the place to grow your career and shape the future of our communities.

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Smart Growth America (SGA) seeks a talented and driven communications professional with experience in writing, editing, and strategic communications. This role is central to SGA’s external communications, supporting our mission to create healthier, more equitable, and connected communities. The title for this position—Associate or Senior Associate—will be determined based on the selected candidate’s experience and qualifications. The position reports to the Director of Communications and offers opportunities for growth, collaboration, and creativity.
To apply, please send a resume, a cover letter that describes your interest in smart growth and what you would bring to the position, references, and two writing samples (1,000 words or less) to <a href="mailto:jobs@smartgrowthamerica.org">jobs@smartgrowthamerica.org</a> with “Communications Associate” in the subject line.

Communications Associate

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Smart Growth America cultivates vibrant, sustainable communities with diverse living and transportation options, enhancing quality of life for all.
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Even the best-planned cities have a few hidden alleys.

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Complete Streets progress doesn’t happen on its own, it happens because dedicated leaders, practitioners, and advocates show up for their communities. Smart Growth America is proud to uplift some of the people and places behind this movement whose efforts continue after our work together. As we reflect on our success in 2025, we’re grateful for the leaders turning Complete Streets from an idea into action.
Creating safer, healthier, people-first streets takes more than updated policies or individual projects—it takes people willing to champion change even, and especially, when challenges feel insurmountable. Across the country, practitioners, elected officials, and community advocates are taking actions that help everyone get where they need to go safely and efficiently, whether walking, biking, rolling, riding transit, or driving.
Over the years, Smart Growth America’s technical assistance, policy guidance, and convenings have touched millions of lives across nearly 200 communities in 48 states—building a nationwide network of Complete Streets leaders. With that national reach, one of SGA’s most important roles is connecting advocates across the country with one another and uplifting their work as best practices for others to adopt. Together, we’ve explored how to effectively strengthen policies and plans, implement Complete Streets projects, deepen community engagement, and build long-lasting relationships.
The impact we have shared would not be possible without the commitment of the advocates, elected officials, city staff, artists, and practitioners dedicated to making their communities safer and healthier. This season of gratitude is a perfect moment to celebrate the leaders who keep this movement alive.
<h3>Progress from Complete Streets leaders</h3>
Across the country, local champions are turning Complete Streets principles into on-the-ground progress. These three communities are just a few of the many examples where dedicated practitioners and advocates are reshaping their streets to be safer, healthier, and more connected for everyone.
<h4>Boca Raton, FL</h4>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-108343 size-medium alignright" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/boca-291x300.jpg" alt="" width="291" height="300" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/boca-291x300.jpg 291w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/boca.jpg 714w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 291px) 100vw, 291px" />Through Smart Growth America’s <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/services/grants/champions-institute/">Champions Institute</a>, Vice Mayor Nachlas planned a city-wide event designed to increase public awareness of safety rules, identify potential locations for <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/programs-and-coalitions/national-complete-streets-coalition/quick-build-demonstration-projects/">quick-build projects</a>, and begin building a broad coalition—including city staff, FDOT officials, bike advocates, schools, and neighborhood groups. She also collaborated with colleagues (some of whom also participated in SGA technical assistance programs in the past) on the Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency (TPA) to pass a <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/active-people-healthy-nation/php/data-research/proclamations.html">CDC Active People, Healthy Nation Proclamation</a>, signaling a strong commitment to promoting health and connectivity through active transportation.
Inspired by conversations amongst local decision-makers and advocates, the City of Boca Raton recently held its first <a href="https://myboca.us/2818/Safety-Symposium">Boca on the Move Micro Mobility Safety Symposium</a> which featured a walking tour, expert panel, interactive tools for community engagement, media coverage, and giveaways.
“As an elected official, resident, parent, and grandparent, I know I must advocate for the design and building of streets that prioritize people, are safe, and support the Complete Streets ideology.” -Vice Mayor Fran Nachlas | Boca Raton, FL | Champions Institute (2025)
<h4>Memphis, TN</h4>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-108346 alignright" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/memphis--300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/memphis--300x200.jpg 300w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/memphis--1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/memphis--768x512.jpg 768w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/memphis--1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/memphis-.jpg 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Since participating in the 2024 Dangerous by Design Technical Assistance program, Jackson McNeil has collaborated with partners and community members to launch a new transportation advocacy initiative, <a href="https://www.streetfairmemphis.org/">Street Fair,</a> which focuses on safe streets and mobility for all. He continues to navigate political and implementation challenges while building the support needed to advance safety-driven solutions. This is not the first time SGA has engaged with staff and advocates in the city. Memphis was part of the <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/complete-streets-leadership-academies-report/">2023 Complete Streets Leadership Academy</a> and, with SGA’s support, developed a successful <a href="https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-cohen-announces-24-million-safe-streets-and-roads-all-grant">Safe Streets and Roads for All</a> grant application that will help move Complete Streets efforts in Memphis.
“Find the hidden allies! Lots of folks are interested in the work but just don’t know how to get involved or where to start.” -Jackson McNeil | Transportation &amp; Mobility Director | Memphis, TN | Dangerous by Design Technical Assistance (2024)
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-108345" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/memphis-2-1024x683.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/memphis-2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/memphis-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/memphis-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/memphis-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/memphis-2.jpg 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
<h4>Mesa, AZ</h4>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-108344 alignright" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/mesa-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/mesa-300x200.jpg 300w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/mesa-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/mesa-768x512.jpg 768w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/mesa.jpg 1400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Since joining the<a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/announcing-champions-institute-2/"> 2022 Champions Institute</a>, council member Jennifer Duff has continued to push Mesa toward safer, more connected streets. Thanks to her dedication, a protected bike lane is now under construction in her community and a micromobility study of their downtown has been completed. In addition, Mesa’s General Plan 2050 connects land use and safe streets work, including smart growth strategies for healthier, more equitable development. The plan has been presented to the city council and they are expected to vote on the project on November 17, 2025.
“People-friendly streets are the social fabric and economic vitality of our communities.” -Councilmember Jennifer Duff | Mesa, AZ | Champions Institute (2022)
<h3>Looking ahead through the lens of gratitude</h3>
As we close out the year, we’re reflecting on these accomplishments of strong leaders in our network who continue to drive progress toward safer, healthier, more connected communities. While the federal landscape continues to be characterized by uncertainty, the voices of advocates and leaders—especially those at the local level—are more important than ever. Their commitment to creating communities where everyone can thrive keeps us encouraged and energized for the progress to come.
Smart Growth America is honored to support, convene, and uplift this growing network of Complete Streets champions. Together, they are building the momentum that will help create communities where all people have safe, accessible, and convenient ways to get to where they need and want to go. We can’t wait to see what the continued innovation and dedication of Complete Streets leaders will accomplish in 2026.
Want to share your own story of success? Reach out to us at info@completestreets.org.
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Smart Growth America is turning 25! What began with three staff members in 2000 has grown over the years, taking on new programs and priorities, and evolving with each community partnership, conversation on the hill, and each report we’ve written.
In the early days, there were only a handful of partners, but we did have a shared vision… and a lot of work ahead. At the time, smart growth wasn’t a widely understood concept. Complete Streets wasn’t a national movement. Housing, transportation, and land use were even more disconnected than they are today. Over the years, we found success thanks to that vision and the friends, partners, and local leaders who joined the movement for smarter, more connected communities.
Reflecting on our earliest mission statement reveals not only how far we’ve come but also how our core values continue to guide our achievements nearly 25 years later.
<h4>&#8220;Smart Growth America is a nationwide coalition promoting a better way to grow: one that protects farmland and open space, revitalizes neighborhoods, keeps housing affordable, and provides more transportation choices.&#8221; -Excerpt from the first mission statement on our website circa August 2002 </h4>
From our early days helping communities understand the cost of sprawl to advancing transit-oriented development in federal transportation legislation, we’ve evolved over time: shaping federal policy, supporting cities large and small, changing the conversation on walkable places and pedestrian safety, and helping leaders tackle the biggest challenges in their communities.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-108339 size-large" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/unnamed-12-1024x683.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/unnamed-12-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/unnamed-12-300x200.jpg 300w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/unnamed-12-768x512.jpg 768w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/unnamed-12-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/unnamed-12.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
Today, Smart Growth America is a unique organization that connects the dots across sectors—housing, transportation, climate, equity, and governance—translating them into a practical, bipartisan, and results-oriented agenda. And our ideas don’t just come from thinking big thoughts in Washington, DC. They come from rolling up our sleeves to work with leaders on the ground, trying to make transportation safer, housing more affordable, and communities more resilient and livable. We see trends and commonalities in successful strategies and common challenges from our work across the country, study them to better understand “why,” and then develop recommendations for impact and advocate for those changes.
<h3>Taking stock</h3>
That iterative process is why it&#8217;s important that we look back and take stock of how much we’ve grown. Over the next two months, we’ll share stories from our work, highlight the local leaders driving change, and reflect on what’s next for SGA.
One story that helps demonstrate our impact, and an important throughline to our work, comes from a 2015 project in Macon, Georgia:
In April 2015, Smart Growth America traveled to Macon-Bibb County, GA, to run a workshop on implementing smart growth strategies. Macon had big plans for downtown revitalization, and the workshop helped local leaders turn those plans into actionable steps. Former Mayor Robert Reichart captured the impact of SGA’s work:
<h4>&#8220;Smart Growth America helped us put a monetary value on the decisions we make every day about what to build and where. Their work not only transformed how many of our elected leaders think, but provided the numbers we need to make the case for smarter growth to our residents.&#8221;</h4>
Later that year, <a href="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/fiscal-implications-macon-ga.pdf">SGA applied a new fiscal model for assessing development patterns</a>, examining four potential growth scenarios for the city. The results were clear: building downtown would generate 4.7 times more fiscal benefit than developing at the edges of town. That analysis gave Macon’s leaders the evidence they needed to steer growth to their historic downtown, maximizing investment and supporting a more walkable, vibrant community.
<h4>&#8220;We couldn’t have done it without the assistance from Smart Growth America.&#8221; -Former Macon Mayor Robert Reichart</h4>
We’re proud of stories like these, where we shared our expertise with local leaders, helping them make the best possible decisions for their communities. Stories like these are why our work matters—from helping communities plan and grow more wisely, to shaping national policy, to supporting local leaders as they turn ideas into action—and we’re excited to share them with you.
But as we look back, our team is even more eager to take on the work ahead and achieve that vision we shared so many years ago. In 2026, there are massive opportunities at the federal level, from a comprehensive housing package with real momentum to major changes needed in the next surface transportation reauthorization package. With so much on the line, support from partners and friends is what allows us to meet the moment.
Want to help us work with more communities and meet the moment? Join us at SGA@25 to celebrate the milestones, toast the partners and communities who’ve made this work possible. Proceeds will support our work in 2026 and jumpstart our impact for the next 25 years.
[button type=&#8221;info&#8221; block=&#8221;true&#8221; size=&#8221;lg&#8221; link=&#8221;https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/celebrate-25-years-of-sga/&#8221;]Get your tickets now. [/button]

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With the U.S. facing multiple health crises—including <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf">high rates of obesity</a> and an <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf">epidemic of loneliness</a>—opportunities to get outside, be active, and socialize are more important than ever. What started as one man’s quest for safer walks grew into a powerful example of community-driven change. Through collaboration between residents and city leaders, Portland transformed fragmented paths into a 50-mile network linking neighborhoods, improving safety, and strengthening community ties.
For longtime Portland resident Don Baack, the catalyst for his advocacy for a healthier, more active city was his dog Siskiyou. When his wife Gaile brought home the new four-legged family member that had been abandoned at the school where she worked, they began going on more walks. They quickly realized that simply taking Siskiyou on walks in their southwest Portland neighborhood was not as easy as it could be. A lack of sidewalks, paths, and crosswalks forced community members to walk along dangerous roads, and made traveling between some neighborhoods virtually impossible without a car.
<figure id="attachment_108152" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-108152" style="width: 260px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-108152" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Don-Baack-225x300.png" alt="" width="260" height="347" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Don-Baack-225x300.png 225w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Don-Baack-768x1024.png 768w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Don-Baack-1152x1536.png 1152w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Don-Baack.png 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 260px) 100vw, 260px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-108152" class="wp-caption-text">Don and his dog Siskiyou.</figcaption></figure>
Adding <a href="https://www.cityhealth.org/our-policy-package/complete-streets/">Complete Streets</a> elements in a particular area is great, but to be truly effective, cities should build networks that connect different neighborhoods and allow people to reach important destinations. Don saw an opportunity to make Portland more walkable and connect neighborhoods to benefit all community members. He vowed to take action to make it happen.
<h3>Making space for collaboration</h3>
Don began by attending city meetings to understand ongoing projects across Portland. While improvements were being made, he noticed they were happening in isolation. He envisioned a more connected approach, where neighborhoods and city agencies worked together toward shared goals.
To bring that vision to life, Don started hosting his own meetings. He realized that creating safer routes for walking and biking could begin by strengthening Portland’s existing trail network—leveraging the city’s natural assets to support active, connected communities.
<figure id="attachment_108151" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-108151" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-108151" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/portland-3-1024x683.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="683" data-wp-editing="1" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/portland-3-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/portland-3-300x200.jpg 300w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/portland-3-768x512.jpg 768w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/portland-3-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/portland-3.jpg 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-108151" class="wp-caption-text">Trail 7 in Gabriel Park. Credit: B. Brady/Southwest Trails.</figcaption></figure>
<h3>A plan for change</h3>
In 1995, Don founded <a href="https://swtrails.org/organization/faq/">Southwest Trails</a>, a volunteer-led organization uniting 17 neighborhoods across southwest Portland. Together, they reviewed local infrastructure plans and created a unified blueprint for a regional trail network that would link communities and improve mobility.
<figure id="attachment_108150" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-108150" style="width: 402px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-108150 " src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/portland-4-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="402" height="268" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/portland-4-300x200.jpg 300w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/portland-4-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/portland-4-768x512.jpg 768w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/portland-4-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/portland-4.jpg 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 402px) 100vw, 402px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-108150" class="wp-caption-text">Trail 6 in Tryon Creek State Park Credit: B. Brady/Southwest Trails.</figcaption></figure>
Guided by the question, “Where do Southwest neighbors want to walk?” Southwest Trails partnered with the Portland Bureau of Transportation to study existing trails and host community meetings. Over two years, residents helped shape what would become the Southwest Urban Trails Plan—a document outlining conditions, priorities, and steps to expand the network.
Public engagement was key. In line with CityHealth&#8217;s <a href="https://www.cityhealth.org/our-policy-package/complete-streets/">Complete Streets framework</a> that emphasizes the importance of an inclusive community engagement plan, the Office of Transportation gave presentations and opportunities for community input. Southwest Trails and the City of Portland then adjusted initial plans and created the <a href="https://www.portland.gov/sites/default/files/2020-04/southwest-urban-trails-plan_2000_full-report_minus-some-appendices.pdf">Southwest Urban Trails Plan</a>, which documented the trail conditions in Southwest Portland and steps for improving and expanding the network.
<h3>Bringing the plan to life</h3>
With support from the Bureau of Maintenance, Parks and Recreation, and hundreds of volunteers, the city began implementing trail improvements.
The new and improved pedestrian facilities created key connections between neighborhoods and safe routes for walking and biking. Now, southwest Portland has <a href="https://swtrails.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapJournal/index.html?appid=9a1c91f626384b14ac9aacab94cb9f88">nearly 50 miles of walkable urban trails</a> that allow for travel between the neighborhoods of southwest Portland and offer a safe travel option for many pedestrians away from dangerous, high-speed roads. But Southwest Trails’ work didn’t stop with the creation of this impressive trail network.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-108149" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/portland-map.png" alt="" width="913" height="663" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/portland-map.png 913w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/portland-map-300x218.png 300w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/portland-map-768x558.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 913px) 100vw, 913px" />
Today, Southwest Trails continues to support the maintenance and use of the trails. 
From April to September 2023, the group partnered with local associations and the city to host <a href="https://www.portland.gov/transportation/walking-biking-transit-safety/swstrolls">SW Strolls</a>, guided community walks that drew more than 150 participants. These events invited residents to join at any point along the route and connect afterward over a social hour in <a href="https://www.multnomahvillage.org/multnomah-village">Multnomah Village.</a>
By October, Southwest Trails became the sole host of SW Strolls, adding them to a growing list of regular activities, including monthly hikes. Participation has continued to climb since the pandemic—a clear sign that people are eager for opportunities to connect through movement and shared spaces.
<figure id="attachment_108148" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-108148" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-108148" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/portland-trail-300x232.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="232" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/portland-trail-300x232.jpg 300w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/portland-trail.jpg 697w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-108148" class="wp-caption-text">Trail completed in Maricara Park Photo Credit: Dave Manville/Southwest Trails.</figcaption></figure>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-108147" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/portland-sw-trail-240x300.png" alt="" width="240" height="300" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/portland-sw-trail-240x300.png 240w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/portland-sw-trail.png 512w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 240px) 100vw, 240px" />
<h3>Lessons learned</h3>
Portland’s trail expansion shows what’s possible when public agencies and residents move in step toward shared goals. By centering community insight and lived experience, the city unlocked solutions that traditional planning alone could not achieve. The result? Safer, healthier, and more connected neighborhoods shaped by the people who use them every day.
For cities seeking to build trust, equity, and long-lasting impact, the lesson is clear: collaboration isn’t a sidebar—it’s the main path forward.
<figure id="attachment_108146" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-108146" style="width: 768px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-108146" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/portland-walk-group.jpg" alt="" width="768" height="432" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/portland-walk-group.jpg 768w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/portland-walk-group-300x169.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-108146" class="wp-caption-text">Group from a SW Stroll in June 2023. Credit: City of Portland.</figcaption></figure>

Where Portland walks: How the city and community built a safer trail network together

Willow Creek Subdivision, Hartford - Sara Bronin Image

To build more homes in the right places at the right price, we must start by modernizing the outdated rules. Zoning regulations artificially limit housing supply, and are one of the most immediate levers to pull in order to stimulate housing supply. Last year, Smart Growth America launched the <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/programs-and-coalitions/center-for-zoning-solutions/">Center for Zoning Solutions</a> to tackle the zoning barriers to building more homes where they’re needed most.
Many zoning codes reflect outdated ideas that restrict housing types and limit the number of houses that can be built, which drives up costs and reinforces patterns of racial and economic segregation. By prioritizing the modernization of these codes, we can unlock housing supply, provide people with more options for where they can afford to live, and ultimately, make communities more inclusive and resilient.
<h3>Much ado about zoning</h3>
<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aRcnAeWAUW6WZ76vqUqy5mZ9JBCQEl95TGMfXjfC6v8/edit?tab=t.0">Zoning</a> is the silent culprit of our current housing crisis since zoning laws control what gets built and where, how tall buildings can be, how many homes and what sizes can fit on a piece of land, how much parking is required, and even who can live together in one housing unit. And in most places across the country, those rules were written to support one kind of housing—single-family homes, on large lots, in neighborhoods that require cars to live there. This means that it limits housing that is close to the things that matter most, like jobs, transit, and schools.
Single-family homes in the suburbs may work great for some families. But housing isn’t one size fits all—people have a diverse range of needs and living situations. When one type of housing is heavily incentivized—such as the single-family home in the U.S.—it means other beneficial types of housing are deprioritized. For example, where multifamily housing is allowed, it is typically restricted to a relatively small area and is often disconnected from the larger community and daily needs, forcing community members to own personal vehicles, which makes the cost of living even more expensive.
<h3>How did we get here? Some zoning history</h3>
While today zoning is mostly controlled at the state and local levels, the federal government played a central role in establishing the use-based zoning system that has dominated for the past century. <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/zoning-for-equity-raising-all-boats/">Starting in the 1920s</a>, the Standard State Zoning Enabling Act, the Standard City Planning Enabling Act, and the Supreme Court’s decision in the case of Village of Euclid v. Ambler Realty Company all established and solidified “Euclidean” zoning practices. The U.S. Department of Commerce put its thumb on the scale by releasing model zoning and planning laws for states that promoted the separation of land uses into low-density, single-use districts.
Since that initial stamp of approval, the federal government has largely stepped back after delegating these powers to the states, which, in turn, passed them down to local jurisdictions. Without federal guidance, comprehensive zoning reform has largely floundered at the local level. The federal government helped create this system; it should take responsibility for fixing it.
While overt housing discrimination has been outlawed for decades, many development standards—regulations in a zoning code that determine physical characteristics such as lot size, building height, setbacks, lot coverage, density, parking requirements, and more—remain optimized for single-family houses. These regulations can even include implicit and explicit bans on multifamily housing and rules that govern the number of non-family members who can share a home. Development standards can and should be reformed as part of larger zoning reform or on their own.
<h3>Zoning as a solution</h3>
Many cities have begun to address the issues that zoning created, but overcoming a century of the Euclidean zoning model, which prioritizes the development of detached, single-family neighborhoods with large minimum lot sizes, is no small challenge to face. In most communities, this pattern is allowed by right, while other types are subject to cumbersome discretionary review. Even when zoning allows certain developments like multifamily, they rarely happen because of high costs, longer timelines, and local opposition. These challenges to diverse housing types limit the housing supply and significantly contribute to people not being able to afford the homes in the communities they want to live in.
While zoning has historically been one of the main causes of the housing crisis, it is also one of the most powerful tools local governments have to fix the housing crisis—or at least stop it from getting worse.
Local zoning changes can:
<h5>1. Permit more types of housing by right in residential areas, like duplexes, ADUs, or small apartment buildings.</h5>
<ul>
<li>Zone for what you want: Many communities have multiple layers of zoning red tape, all dictating what can and can’t be built. Imagine trying to build something different and needing to refer to esoteric documents like a base zone, plus an overlay, then another set of rules—all that work creates huge barriers. Rather than aiming to restrict development to only one kind of home, we should allow flexibility for a variety of homes to be built, and let the market respond to the needs of your community.</li>
<li>Modernize your development standards: If you’re zoning for what you want and a wider range of housing options, things like setbacks, parking minimums, and more all work against those goals. Get rid of them or make them as flexible as possible.</li>
<li>Make it the easy choice to develop housing: Streamline permitting by allowing all housing types in all residential districts, adopting pre-approved permits for missing middle housing types, and/or adopt infill housing development overlays to facilitate missing middle housing units.</li>
</ul>
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[alert type=&#8221;info&#8221;] Examples of permitting for more types of housing:
1. <a href="https://minneapolis2040.com/overview/">Minneapolis 2040</a>: Broad land use and zoning reform that addressed parking requirements, created new zoning districts, established building height minimums in some areas, and allowed duplexes and triplexes on all residential lots. <a href="https://www.pew.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2024/01/04/minneapolis-land-use-reforms-offer-a-blueprint-for-housing-affordability">Learn more &gt;&gt;</a>
2. <a href="https://www.habitat.org/sites/default/files/documents/Cost-of-Home-cumulative%205-year-report-2024.pdf">Clallam County, WA:</a> 2022 zoning reform to permit multifamily housing. The advocacy campaign was led by the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity. 
3. <a href="https://reason.org/commentary/the-montana-miracle-continues-through-housing-reform-passed-in-2025/">Montana</a>: 2023 state-wide legislation to expand housing supply, including allowing duplexes and accessory dwelling units on single-family lots by right. 
 [/alert]
<h5>2. Build housing in the right places and make better use of land, especially near jobs and transit, by incorporating housing near everyday amenities, which in turn decreases sprawl and congestion</h5>
<ul>
<li>Rethink subdivision regulations: Subdivision regulations, as their name suggests, govern the division of large parcels, but they also define the layout of lots, blocks, and streets, as well as the placement of roads, easements, parks, and public rights-of-way. These regulations play a pivotal role in shaping development patterns and can either facilitate or inhibit sprawl by determining how greenfield sites are developed. Reform is essential to accommodate and encourage density, “missing middle” housing, and smaller lot sizes, all of which are needed for a community to efficiently grow its housing supply.</li>
<li>Use PUDs to achieve housing goals: A PUD (Planned Unit Development) allows flexible, negotiated zoning for large sites, typically focused on mixing housing types, commercial uses, and open spaces under a single, and cohesive development plan. PUDs can also and encourage large-scale, mixed-use development, incorporate public benefits like affordable housing, parks, or infrastructure, and attract private investment with predictability</li>
<li>Consider an Infill Housing Overlay (IHO): Overlays “lay” additional regulations over existing zoning districts. An Infill overlay specifically modifies existing zoning in targeted areas (often older neighborhoods or corridors) to encourage the addition of housing on vacant or underused parcels. Overlays can add gentle density or missing-middle housing, protect sensitive environmental areas, preserve historic buildings, and promote specific types of development.</li>
</ul>
 
Real estate developers touted the increased flexibility and predictability of the approval process in places where form-based codes were in effect in our report, <a style="color: #0082c8;" href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/resources/zoned-in-economic-benefits-shared-prosperity-with-form-based-codes/">Zoned In.</a>
<div aria-hidden="true"> </div>
[alert type=&#8221;info&#8221;] Examples of building in the right place:
1. <a href="https://www.mass.gov/info-details/multi-family-zoning-requirement-for-mbta-communities">Massachusetts MBTA Communities</a>: Creates zoning that encourages new missing middle housing in areas served by public transit rail.
2. <a href="https://nextcity.org/urbanist-news/virginia-church-set-to-convert-parking-lot-into-housing">Richmond, VA Infill:</a> A church is working to convert a parking lot into 192 apartments and 40 townhomes. [/alert]
<h5>3. Lower the price for both builders and buyers/renters, by removing things like excessive parking mandates—the cost of which is often hidden or passed on to consumers—and updating the way we finance housing construction.</h5>
<ul>
<li>Let the market decide on parking: Parking can add huge costs to the cost of building homes. Consider a zoning text amendment to change required parking minimums to parking maximums, or eliminate minimums and instead allow the market to determine the amount of parking needed.</li>
<li>Embrace manufactured housing: New technologies have allowed manufactured housing to be built better, faster, and cheaper. Allowing manufactured housing units in all residential zones by right is a key first step, while also working with developers to ensure that cost savings are passed on to end-users. Units with HUD Code Stickers can help ease design review standards and raise the cost of units. Additionally, ensure that design standards don’t add to the cost of the unit.</li>
</ul>
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[alert type=&#8221;info&#8221;] Examples of lowering the price:
1. <a href="https://www.planetizen.com/news/2024/02/127395-atlanta-eliminates-parking-mandates-near-beltline">Atlanta BeltLine Overlay District</a>: Removes parking minimums within a half-mile zone of the BeltLine trail and light rail system.
2. <a href="https://www.bozeman.net/departments/economic-development/community-housing/fowler-housing-project">Bozeman, MT</a>: Development of a 5.5-acre, city-owned lot into affordable housing. 
[/alert]
Zoning reform is an essential tool for smart growth, and using it effectively doesn’t mean getting rid of single-family homes. The goal is to give people more choices—and create room for the kinds of homes and communities that work for people today, rather than continuing to let outdated rules shape what and how we build, and who we build it for.
&nbsp;

Regulatory reform: Solutions for type, place, price

Form-Based Codes

Uncategorized

taidgh 2

In this LOCUS Member Spotlight, meet Taidgh McClory, founder of <a href="https://www.thmcclory.com/">THM Advisors</a>, a social impact enterprise advancing equitable development and investment strategies that create lasting community value. Based in Boston, Taidgh has long worked at the intersection of smart growth, equity, and triple-bottom-line real estate, helping public, private, and philanthropic partners design projects that align economic returns with social impact. A longtime supporter of Smart Growth America, Taidgh shares insights from his firm’s work—from advising billion-dollar mixed-use developments to piloting shared ownership models that build local wealth—and reflects on what drives his commitment to inclusive growth. Read the following Q&amp;A to learn more about his approach to creating more inclusive and resilient communities.
<h3>Tell us about your work, and how you became engaged in smart growth and triple-bottom-line real estate development.</h3>
THM Advisors is a social impact enterprise focused on equitable development and investment strategies for public, private, and mission-aligned organizations seeking to improve the social and financial outcomes of the communities they build. We believe that real estate has the power to transform lives in equitable ways, but too often, institutions struggle to measure and implement strategies that truly deliver equitable outcomes. Our work bridges that gap by helping clients build customized equitable development playbooks advancing inclusive career, contract, and capital models that generate long-term economic and community value for all stakeholders.
I was first introduced to Smart Growth America through both my local and national networks—here in Boston during my time on the board of the Massachusetts Economic Alliance, and nationally through my work with the Urban Land Institute, where I serve on the Responsible Property Investment Council. Both communities deeply shaped my understanding of how smart growth and equity intersect within the built environment.
<h3>What inspired you to join LOCUS?</h3>
I’ve long admired LOCUS’ mission and leadership at the intersection of equitable development and smart growth, bringing together purpose-driven developers and investors to advance sustainable, equitable, and walkable communities across the country. That alignment with THM Advisors’ triple-bottom-line approach made joining the coalition a natural fit.
I see LOCUS as a unique network that blends advocacy, policy, and practice. I look forward to contributing to and learning from this platform where mission-aligned developers can collectively shape systems that produce more inclusive outcomes.
<h3>Are there any recent or upcoming development projects you would like to share?</h3>
Our work spans sectors, but three recent projects reflect the breadth of THM Advisors’ impact and our alignment with the LOCUS mission:
1. Private Sector | Equitable Development Advisory
Over the past five years, THM Advisors has served as an Equitable Development Advisor to Tishman Speyer on a $1B mixed-use Development. The project is slated for completion in early 2026 and has achieved equitable development milestones that optimize inclusion across careers, contracts, and capital.
2. Philanthropic Sector | Community Ownership Investment Strategy
Over the past four years, THM Advisors has co-led a multi-phase national initiative with Emerging Markets Development Corporation and The Kresge Foundation to design and prototype neighborhood-based shared ownership models that seek to build local wealth, mobilize impact capital, and strengthen community well-being.
3. Public Sector | Equity Evaluation Framework
In partnership with the City of Boston’s Planning Department, we have spent the last two years supporting the city’s efforts to embed a Resilience, Affordability, and Equity framework into its entitlement process—ensuring that new development projects contribute positively to historically marginalized communities.
<h3>Are there any particular connections or areas of expertise you&#8217;d like to seek out within the membership to support your work?</h3>
Over the coming years, I’m dedicating more energy to place-based investment strategies focused on shared ownership models. These approaches—like Community Investment Trusts and Neighborhood REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts)—help ensure that local residents and businesses benefit directly from the value created in their neighborhoods.
I hope to collaborate with LOCUS members who share an interest in scaling these models nationally, learning from the triple-bottom-line development expertise this coalition has cultivated over the years.
<h3>What has been your most engaging or memorable experience with LOCUS?</h3>
One of my most memorable experiences with LOCUS was when the team came to Boston for a full day working session during the early days of Opportunity Zones. That forum reflected the best of what LOCUS represents—bridging local realities with national policy insight.
I was also honored to collaborate with Smart Growth America and LOCUS Massachusetts on a consulting engagement that mapped key strategic issues and opportunities for developers and investors across the Commonwealth. That work helped shape priorities for advocacy, technical assistance, and partnership building that remain relevant today.
<h3>What are some of your favorite real estate or land use projects from over the years?</h3>
Projects that merge equity, design, and innovation have always inspired me—especially those that push beyond compliance to redefine what inclusive growth can look like. The Enterprise Research Campus development with Tishman Speyer stands out, as does our ongoing collaboration with public and philanthropic partners exploring new shared ownership models.
<h3>What’s one thing you are passionate about or interested in beyond the real estate and smart growth space?</h3>
Art and golf. Art keeps me grounded in creativity, while golf provides the opportunity to stay active mentally and physically outdoors.
[alert type=&#8221;info&#8221;] Are you a purpose-driven developer or investor? Consider joining Smart Growth America’s LOCUS coalition. LOCUS, latin for ‘place’, is a national coalition of real estate developers and investors who advocate for smart growth at the federal level, with occasional work at the state and local levels. LOCUS brings together real estate developers and investors from across the country to change policy and to build neighborhoods that are more economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable for America’s future. LOCUS is driven by the vision of a country in which every person lives in a vibrant and healthy community. Membership provides access to monthly briefings, policy development conversations, and curated newsletters to keep you and your organization informed. <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/programs-and-coalitions/locus/join-locus/">Learn more about joining LOCUS!</a>  [/alert]

LOCUS member spotlight: Taidgh McClory, THM Advisors

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Smart Growth America has been awarded a two-year, $450,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation to launch a groundbreaking research and storytelling initiative exploring the underrecognized histories and cultural landscape of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) suburban communities in the American South.
The project, Outside In, will gather and interpret stories of migration, belonging, and placemaking in the decades following the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act, illuminating how AAPI communities have reshaped the Southern suburban landscape by retrofitting strip malls, transforming neighborhoods, and reshaping the region’s cultural and physical landscape.
“This project honors and uplifts the lived experiences that have transformed Southern suburbs into a more complex, culturally rich landscape,” said Marian Liou, Director of Arts &amp; Culture at Smart Growth America. “We’re thrilled that the Mellon Foundation recognizes the importance of telling these stories and embedding them within broader conversations about history, planning, and cultural equity.”
Through oral histories, archival and site-based research, and community-driven artmaking, the project will center memory, identity, and belonging in the places these communities call home. It will also build a cross-sector network of artists, cultural workers, historians, planners, designers, and community leaders to support long-term preservation, advocacy, and equitable development led by AAPI communities.
The two-year initiative will take place across several Southern regions, with Smart Growth America convening and facilitating community partners, artists, and researchers to map significant places, interpret shared histories, and design strategies for cultural placekeeping and community stewardship. Findings and creative works from the project will be shared through exhibitions, public programs, digital storytelling, and a final report from Smart Growth America.
This award builds on Smart Growth America’s body of work at the intersection of arts, culture, and planning. SGA’s Arts and Culture program advances cultural equity within housing, transportation, climate, and governance through cultural organizing and power-building led by communities of color. Artists, culture bearers, cultural workers, and designers are essential co-leaders, collaborators, supporters, and instigators in this work.

Mellon Foundation Awards $450,000 Grant to Smart Growth America to Support Landmark Project Illuminating AAPI Suburban Histories in the American South

Advancing Racial Equity

Arts and Culture

Creative Placemaking

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What happens when underused, contaminated land becomes a beacon of clean energy and local prosperity? That’s the question at the heart of our latest project with the <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/programs-and-coalitions/national-brownfields-coalition/">National Brownfields Coalition</a>. Across the country, thousands of brownfield sites—once industrial or polluted spaces—are being reimagined as brightfields: locations for solar and renewable energy generation. But as this transformation accelerates, it’s critical to understand not only where solar can be built, but also how these projects can unlock long-term economic benefits for surrounding communities.
<h3>Why economic potential matters</h3>
Siting solar on a brownfield can spark job creation, strengthen local tax bases, and reduce energy burdens—but not all brownfields offer the same opportunities.
A brownfield in a dense, transit-rich metro area may generate ripple effects through nearby commercial corridors, while a rural site near a substation might serve as an anchor for long-term regional planning.
In other words: it’s not just about asking “Can we build solar here?” but “What happens when we do?”
That’s why Smart Growth America and the National Brownfield Coalition are working together to build tools to develop tools that help communities and planners assess the economic potential of brownfields alongside their solar viability.
<h3>Explore our map</h3>
We’ve created a live, interactive map that combines brownfield sites from EPA’s RE-Powering data with the metrics described below. Users can explore each site’s solar profile, infrastructure readiness, and surrounding economic indicators.
It’s a work in progress, but it’s already helping communities and coalitions see the full landscape of opportunity—and begin deeper conversations about solar equity, land reuse, and inclusive economic development in the clean energy transition.
<div class="embed-container"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Brownfields Econ Potential Map" src="//smamerica.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Embed/index.html?webmap=44f49ab5b93046ec904c0c8289f491e1&amp;extent=-80.0879,37.3987,-73.8972,40.1895&amp;zoom=true&amp;previewImage=false&amp;scale=true&amp;disable_scroll=true&amp;theme=light" width="1000" height="800" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no">﻿</iframe></div>
<div>This map contains two layers of the same brownfield sites. One layer contains the RE-Power data and the second contains SGA’s assembled economic indicators. Additionally, we provide one layer of the census block groups that the brownfields are in for reference</div>
[button type=&#8221;info&#8221; block=&#8221;true&#8221; size=&#8221;lg&#8221; link=&#8221;https://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?webmap=44f49ab5b93046ec904c0c8289f491e1&amp;extent=-80.0879,37.3987,-73.8972,40.1895&#8243;]<a href="https://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?webmap=44f49ab5b93046ec904c0c8289f491e1&amp;extent=-80.0879,37.3987,-73.8972,40.1895">Open the interactive map in a new window.</a> [/button]
<h3>How we measure economic potential</h3>
We started with the U.S. EPA’s <a href="https://www.epa.gov/re-powering">RE-Powering America’s Land</a> dataset, which identifies sites suitable for renewable energy reuse. We selected only the brownfield sites and overlaid data from a range of federal sources to capture each site’s context. Here&#8217;s a sample of what we’re analyzing:
1. Site-level energy data from the RE-Powering dataset
<ul>
<li>
Solar potential (estimated PV capacity, solar irradiance)
</li>
<li>
Infrastructure proximity (substations, transmission lines, roads, rails)
</li>
<li>
Wind, geothermal, and biomass potential
</li>
</ul>
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2. Block group–level economic indicators, including:
<ul>
<li>
Employment and employment density (from the <a href="https://lehd.ces.census.gov/data/">U.S. Census LODES</a> database)
</li>
<li>
Unprotected land availability (from <a href="https://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/smart-location-mapping">EPA Smart Location</a> database)
</li>
<li>
Walkability and transit access (e.g. jobs accessible by transit or driving within 45 minutes)
</li>
<li>
Road network density
</li>
</ul>
<div class="wp-block-spacer" style="height: 20px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div>
By combining these spatial and socioeconomic indicators, we can begin to paint a more complete picture of whether a site can support not just clean energy generation, but also people, jobs, and long-term community benefits.
<h3>Context matters</h3>
Our research underscored a critical truth: there’s no one-size-fits-all formula for economic potential.
Some metrics carry more weight in urban areas (like transit access), while others matter more in rural settings (like distance to transmission lines). A five-acre brownfield near a university might drive workforce development opportunities, while a 30-acre site in a post-industrial corridor might align with regional clean manufacturing goals.
So while we’re exploring the potential of developing a standardized rubric or score, we’re also approaching it with humility. We’ve seen how the meaning of “potential” can shift based on context—and we’re building our tools to reflect that nuance.
Developing this tool means assigning “value weights” to different measures. For example, if walkability is prioritized, the EPA National Walkability Index might carry more weight—favoring sites in areas with strong local infrastructure and amenities.

Brownfields

National Brownfields Coalition

From brownfields to brightfields: Turning contaminated land into clean energy and economic opportunity

Economic development

Land Use and Development

2025-07-12 15.39.30

At Smart Growth America, we talk a lot about what’s needed to improve transportation so folks can easily and safely get around, no matter how they choose to travel. With this outcome in mind, one of our priorities is to change the way people, including elected officials and the media, talk about transportation safety. 
Far too often, we come across press coverage that victim-blames and perpetuates the notion that the car is king of our transportation network. In our fight for safer, more accessible streets, we can’t forget that what’s in print, on our TVs, and shared on social media informs decision-making and shapes perceptions.
Here are a few things that we must overcome alongside broken sidewalks, paint-only bike lanes, and infrequent crosswalks.
<h3>Time-tested solutions are not given the positive coverage they are due</h3>
We know how to improve safety and accessibility—and we have the receipts to back it up. <a href="https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/29224/strategies-to-improve-pedestrian-safety-at-night-a-guide">Journal articles</a>, <a href="https://www.iihs.org/research-areas/pedestrians-and-bicyclists#design-along-roadways">scientific research</a>, and <a href="https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2025/09/26/new-speed-data-shows-dramatic-impact-of-milwaukees-traffic-calming-efforts/">real-world testing</a> have shown that to protect people walking and biking, we need to improve visibility, slow speeding cars, and provide dedicated space for all modes. Yet, far too often, we see headlines that give credence to the idea that a bike lane is somehow unsafe, a painted crosswalk is distracting, or street design changes will increase congestion. Those loudest voices about the inconvenience of drivers should spend a little less time concerned for perceived inconveniences and a little more time worrying about whether roads are safe enough for their neighbors, children, and grandparents.
The media’s desire to cover charged news makes it seem as though the bikelash is more widespread than it is, and it perpetuates a narrative that makes advocating and funding new street design harder than it should be. We need more regular mainstream coverage demonstrating the many benefits that can come from making improvements for people walking and biking and, yes, even those behind the wheel who would rather not see “<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/06/12/arizona-bike-lane-dc/">ugly</a>” infrastructure but are safer when it&#8217;s in place.
<h3>Transportation violence is too often treated as a random tragedy and not a systemic problem</h3>
That pedestrians and bicyclists are struck and killed by cars at a disproportionate rate is a systemic problem, as we argue regularly in <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/signature-reports/dangerous-by-design/">Dangerous by Design</a>. Yet, coverage of crashes treats them as one-off events even though they occur on a regular, almost daily, basis. Occasionally, reporters mention if multiple crashes have taken place at the same location, but even that fails to adequately point to what’s at the root of what’s causing them. Responsible coverage is reserved for deep-dive reporting produced as features, which is useful in highlighting the issue but does little to drive home the daily nature of people being killed. Reporting crashes as singular events makes it far too easy to assign blame to individual actors and even the victim of the crash itself. If every crash exists in a vacuum, only those in the immediate event can be at fault.
It’s not just the scale and scope of the reporting that’s troublesome. Even the word choices made by reporters can influence the perception of what (or who) was the cause of a crash. Despite the <a href="https://www.vox.com/2015/1/15/7551873/jaywalking-history">well-documented derogatory origin of the word “jaywalker,”</a> it’s a term that reporters too often resort to when describing a fatal crash—and it&#8217;s even an approved term by the Associated Press. While some reporters are using the word with more nuance, the word carries a negative perception that is geared toward the victim, again ignoring the real causes of the crash, such as low lighting, crosswalks being too far apart, or even no pedestrian infrastructure at all. We would be happy for the term jaywalker to be stricken from common use, as it does community members a disservice, by shifting blame to the individual and away from systemic-level solutions (policy change, funding reprioritization, design guidance updates) to achieve safer streets.
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<img decoding="async" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Headlines-GIF-1-1.gif" alt="Pedestrian safety" style="width: 100%;" />
<h3>Too often, the good coverage is taking place in an echo chamber</h3>
There are some media outlets that consistently do a great job covering the danger on our roads, and some specific stories that cover the issues in the right way. To drive action, we need to see a wholesale change. We love our friends at the transportation publications doing hard work to ring the alarm bell on road safety around the U.S. But if we truly want to chip away at some of the misconceptions and grow the call for true change to create safer streets, we need to break out of that echo chamber and beyond one-off stories. We need a wholesale change to how people talk about roadway fatalities, including in local media and from our elected officials. Transportation violence is a persistent problem impacting communities and people in all corners of the country, and needs to be covered as such. The fact that pedestrian fatalities have increased 75 percent since 2010 should be front-page headline news every day until the issue is resolved.
<h3>What can you do?</h3>
Transportation advocates need to put their efforts behind changing the design of their streets, but also educating the media and their communities about how to be in the fight with them. Even small steps, such as broadening the list of who gets interviewed about a proposed street change, taking care with word choice in crash coverage, or making sure that community context is considered, can help reshape the narrative around traffic violence. Advocates should make sure that local media is engaged on the issue more than just when a crash takes place—invite them to walk audits, tour them around a completed bike lane, have them roll up their sleeves at a quick-build demonstration.
It’s not enough to cover crashes and pushback; it’s time journalists become part of the solution to make sure there are fewer crashes to cover.
Here are five things we would like to see from journalists (and that advocates should call out in their local media)
1. Context is key: To tell the full story of a crash, we need to understand the surrounding environment and broader story of what happened not only at the scene but leading up to it.
2. No one wins playing the blame game: As we discussed above, it’s a slippery slope to victim-blaming, and focusing on individual actors ignores the policy and design changes we need for real improvements.
3. Not everything needs to be both-sided: We know what works and don’t need to debate whether a time-tested solution like a bike lane actually improves safety.
4. Language matters: Reporters have a responsibility to tell the story in a way that respects the victims and creates urgency around the issue.
5. Transportation touches everything: Crashes are just one piece of roadway safety, and we need coverage of the progress being made and the intersectionality of street issues.

Dangerous by Design

Pedestrian safety

Ending the pedestrian safety crisis begins with how we talk about it

8143474465_7b93afaf04_o

As we prepare for Halloween, it’s important to remember that this holiday is one of the deadliest days of the year for people walking, with children <a href="https://www.childrenssafetynetwork.org/infographics/halloween-safety">dying twice the rate of any other day.</a> That sobering fact underscores the need to build communities where people of all ages can walk safely not only on Halloween but the rest of the year as well.
While Halloween brings families and neighbors outside to enjoy their communities, it also highlights the risks people face simply by walking. Halloween is one of the <a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2022/10/31/23427256/halloween-children-car-deaths-pedestrian-safety">most dangerous days for people walking and especially deadly for children.</a> As the United States continues to experience a worsening roadway safety crisis, we need to move beyond surface-level solutions and focus on fixing the systems that make our streets dangerous in the first place. Unmasking the monsters is the first step in confronting our fears and we want to help highlight some things that are contributing to the increased risk as communities take steps to grapple with this devastating trend.
The increase in walking and biking this time of year—especially among families and children—shouldn’t be seen as a risk to manage, but as a reminder of the kind of vibrant, walkable communities we want to create. Everyone should be able to enjoy their neighborhood streets safely, whether they’re out trick-or-treating, walking to school, or heading to work. Communities can take advantage of this time of year to make the case for designing streets to improve physical health, social connection, and community engagement. 
To do so, we need to address the core factors that make walking, biking, and rolling unsafe not only on Halloween but every day throughout the year. It’s not a coincidence that pedestrian safety month falls in October as the sun sets earlier. <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/brighter-streets-safer-streets-improving-pedestrian-safety-after-dark/">76 percent of pedestrian fatalities take place in darkened conditions and visibility needs to be at the top of any to-do lists</a>. This means making sure that <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/middletown-ct-csla/">pedestrian level lighting</a>, <a href="https://highways.dot.gov/safety/proven-safety-countermeasures/crosswalk-visibility-enhancements">visible and well-maintained crosswalks,</a> and signalized intersections are frequent and accessible. Connected sidewalks and protected bike lanes provide separated spaces for people outside of vehicles and routes for those who are seeking treats or have mischief to tackle. Finally, this is an opportunity to <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/why-safety-and-speed-are-fundamentally-incompatible-a-visual-guide/">evaluate speeds in communities</a>, looking for ways to slow down vehicles and cue drivers that the surrounding environment is for more than just car throughput.
This is not a day to shy away from what scares us. While steps to keep kids safe like trunk-or-treat events and calls for reflectors on costumes are well-intentioned, the reality is that  our streets aren’t designed for everyone’s safety. Halloween is a time to reflect on this frightening reality and offers an important reminder that we can—and must—build communities where walking and connection are safe and celebrated year-round.

Pedestrian fatalities

Safety

A call for safer streets this Halloween

us-capitol

The federal government is three weeks into a shutdown, and massive swaths of the federal government are frozen, the majority of its workers furloughed, while the Trump administration pursues targeted and explicitly partisan firings to exert political pressure on Democrats to vote on a Republican-preferred funding bill. There’s no end in sight, and pain abounds as an increasing range of activities, from air travel to home sales, become mired in the fallout.
On October 1st, <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/the-government-shuts-down-what-does-it-mean-and-what-were-watching/">the federal government shut down</a> after Congress failed to pass a seven-week government funding extension led by Congressional Republicans. The unsuccessful funding measure had passed the Republican-controlled House but has since failed 12 times in the Senate, where it requires 60 votes—and thus the support of Democrats—to pass. In the days since the government shutdown, federal workers have been furloughed, some programs have lapsed, and much of the federal government’s work, from processing grants to reviewing projects for compliance with federal guidelines, has ground to a halt. On top of the <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/the-government-shuts-down-what-does-it-mean-and-what-were-watching/">more standard shutdown protocols</a>, the Trump administration has announced an unprecedented, and <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/14/white-house-to-ax-more-egregious-programs-friday-00608022?experience_id=EXYF89KVT5UQ&amp;template_id=OTJIR2CRKUD6&amp;variant_id=OTV632IE7RALS&amp;is_login_link=true">explicitly politically motivated</a>, round of firings to punish Democrats for the shutdown. This maelstrom created by the reductions in force (RIFs), furloughs, and other side effects of the shutdown seems likely to rage on to the detriment of communities across the country—but how is it affecting key smart growth programs and how might it ultimately resolve?
<h2>Reductions in force</h2>
In the first two weeks of the shutdown, the Trump administration announced a round of firings of federal workers explicitly tied to the government shutdown. The Department of Housing and Urban Development issued reduction in force (RIF) notices to over 400 employees, including staff in Community Planning and Development, Public and Indian Housing, Housing Counseling, Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, and broader HUD operations. Among those fired <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/10/14/shutdown-layoffs-target-services-vulnerable-students-homeless-seniors/?&amp;utm_source=%20urban_newsletters&amp;utm_campaign=hm&amp;utm_id=housing&amp;utm_content=">were inspectors who help verify the quality and safety of housing that receives federal support, as well as staff who distribute funding to support affordable housing</a>. The Department of Transportation appears to have been spared in the first round of RIFs, but there is no guarantee that later RIFs will not include some DOT staff. Early information on the few dozen employees impacted by the RIFs at EPA was more fleeting, with EPA failing to provide concrete information on how many workers at the agency received notices or which offices are seeing reductions.
<a href="https://www.housingfinance.com/policy-legislation/trump-targets-cdfi-fund-and-usich-for-elimination_o">Following an initial attempt to attack it in March</a>, the administration eliminated all staff at the Treasury Department’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund). <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/financing-community-growth-and-sparking-prosperity-five-housing-projects-cdfi-financing-has-made-possible-2/">The CDFI Fund supports</a> the growth and capacity of a nationwide network of lenders, investors, and financial service providers who, in turn, provide affordable credit, capital, and financial services for the communities they operate in, with a particular focus on under-resourced rural and urban areas. The CDFI Fund provides capital infusions and technical assistance to individual Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), which then use that capital to provide business and homeownership loans, invest in the creation or preservation of affordable homes, and provide financing for the creation of needed community assets such as <a href="https://www.cdfifund.gov/impact/103">childcare</a> and <a href="https://cdfi.org/success-stories/?_category=healthcare">healthcare centers</a>. Bipartisan members of Congress, including Senate Community Development Finance Caucus co-chairs Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Senator Mark Warner (D-Virginia), expressed support for the CDFI Fund in the immediate wake of the announcement, with the bipartisan pair of co-chairs committing to take joint action to attempt to resolve the situation. Senator Warner has said he believes the action is illegal and that he and his co-chair did not see the RIFs coming. Last Friday, Politico <a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/10/16/congress/senior-republicans-strongly-urge-trump-administration-to-reconsider-elimination-of-main-street-lending-office-00612917">also reported</a> that senior Republicans in Congress were also circulating a letter to the Trump administration, implicitly asking for a reversal of the decision and the rehiring of the fired CDFI Fund employees.
While some Republican members of Congress <a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/10/10/congress/collins-knocks-vought-over-firing-of-federal-workers-00602731">have criticized the firings</a>, the announcements have stood—although a recent court ruling has led to uncertainty about the future of the impacted workers. The American Federation of Government Employees <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cand.457131/gov.uscourts.cand.457131.38.1.pdf?source=email">filed suit</a> against the Trump administration to pause the firings in California District Court, and last Wednesday, a judge <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/15/trump-administration-layoffs-order-00609833">issued a decision blocking</a> the administration from firing federal workers represented by the American Federation of Government Employees during the shutdown on the grounds that the firings appeared to be politically motivated. It is not yet clear what that decision will mean in practice for the staff recently fired through the RIF process and the programs they are responsible for implementing. The administration, for its part, has pledged further reductions and said they <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/15/shutdown-layoffs-10-000-00609830?source=email">could exceed 10,000 workers</a>. Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/10/16/congress/thune-signals-white-house-is-flexible-on-rolling-back-shutdown-moves-00611407">Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune has indicated</a> that he believes the administration would be willing to roll back some of the personnel cuts if the Democrats vote to reopen the government. How these conflicting positions will resolve is unclear.
<h2>Ongoing furloughs, delays, and other side effects</h2>
As the RIFs are announced, furloughs across much of the government continue, grinding basic operations of many agencies to a standstill. Government functions that rely on annual appropriations—such as the vast majority of HUD, EPA, and the Department of Commerce staff—are those facing the heaviest disruptions in terms of furloughed personnel, while those predominantly not funded through that process–such as the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA)—weather the storm in much better positions, at least initially. Individual agencies have provided contingency plans that detail their plans for a shutdown as well as current staffing levels. These contingency plans provide insight into how many staffers will continue to work during the shutdown and what functions will continue. The chart below details the share of workers furloughed at each agency if they fully implement their shutdown plan as written (not accounting for recently announced RIFs).
<a href="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image1.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-107867" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image1-1024x816.png" alt="" width="1024" height="816" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image1-1024x816.png 1024w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image1-300x239.png 300w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image1-768x612.png 768w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image1.png 1240w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
In addition to funding, the yearly appropriations bill can temporarily extend existing programs when Congress can’t reach an agreement on larger reforms. One such example is the National Flood Insurance Program, whose short-term reauthorization has been tied to the yearly appropriations process as it awaits a more comprehensive overhaul from Congress. When the government shut down, the program lapsed. While the program can continue to pay out claims to existing policyholders until it exhausts its reserve fund, it cannot underwrite new policies for homebuyers or renew existing policies, complicating home purchasing across the country. While there has been talk of a vote in the Senate to extend the program, Republican leaders in the House have said they are not planning to reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program during the shutdown.
<h3>Will it resolve soon?</h3>
Republicans and Democrats are deeply divided and waging a battle on multiple fronts,<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/30/the-other-reason-democrats-are-taking-trump-to-the-mat-in-a-shutdown-battle-00588747"> including the basic separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches of government</a>. Democrats have said they will strike a deal if Republicans come to the table on expiring healthcare subsidies <a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-pulse/2025/10/02/breaking-down-the-aca-subsidy-fight-00590901">that help keep care affordable under the Affordable Care Act</a>, but Republicans are currently refusing to come to the negotiating table on the subsidies until Democrats provide the votes in the Senate to reopen the government. It’s a standoff of uncertain length, but one that will wear on both parties as Congress and the administration debate how to pay the military, the administration <a href="https://t4america.org/2025/10/02/usdot-initiated-another-arbitrary-freeze-sowing-chaos-for-chaoss-sake-congress-should-take-note/">targets infrastructure projects for delay in apparent retribution for the shutdown</a>, and the President threatens<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/government-shutdown-2025-air-travel-social-security-impact-rcna235119"> further cuts at agencies.</a> 
There remain <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/the-government-shuts-down-what-does-it-mean-and-what-were-watching/">four likely paths</a> forward in the coming weeks: a sustained shutdown, a year-long continuing resolution, the successful negotiation of a new FY26 budget, or some hybrid of the three. The impasse seems unlikely to break in the near term, but that depends on the extent to whether voters dial up the pressure on either party. As the days tick by, the <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5567999-gop-government-funding-extension-shutdown/">need to pass a continuing resolution that kicks the funding deadline further into the future</a> also grows more pressing. However, right now the House is still continuing to stay out of session in an effort to force the Democrats’ hand, and the Trump administration is <a href="https://x.com/WHOMB/status/1978087563211473168?source=email">threatening further reductions in force</a>, with Trump saying he plans to target “<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/14/white-house-to-ax-more-egregious-programs-friday-00608022">Democrat programs that we were opposed to”</a> and that they may not be restored. With failed votes continuing and Democrats consistently losing three members of their caucus—Senators Fetterman, Cortez Masto, and King—but only three members of their caucus, it is unclear how Congress will ultimately arrive at any of the possible paths forward.
<h3>Additional resources</h3>
<ul>
<li>What’s a government shutdown? Check out our <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/the-government-shuts-down-what-does-it-mean-and-what-were-watching/">previous blog on the shutdown</a> for a background on how the federal government funding process is supposed to work and what a government shutdown usually looks like.</li>
<li>More detail on impacts to Federal Housing Administration and other programs? Read the National Association of Affordable Housing Lenders’ <a href="https://naahl.org/news/government-shutdown-what-it-means-for-affordable-housing-and-community-development">explainer</a> on the shutdown’s impact across the affordable housing and community development space</li>
<li>More detail on specific agencies? Read through the shutdown contingency plans for the various agencies, a collection of which is available <a href="https://federalnewsnetwork.com/government-shutdown/2025/09/heres-a-look-at-federal-agencies-contingency-plans-as-shutdown-looms/">here</a>. (For quick reference: <a href="https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/PA/documents/HUD-Lapse-Plan.pdf">HUD</a>, <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/2025-09/DOT_Shutdown_Plan_9.30.25.pdf">DOT</a>, <a href="https://www.epa.gov/lapse/agency-contingency-plans-event-lapse-appropriations">EPA</a>)</li>
<li>More detailed information on how overall staffing levels have changed at each agency relative to the past? Check out the Bipartisan Policy Center’s <a href="https://bipartisanpolicy.org/explainer/what-shutdown-contingency-plans-show-about-federal-workforce-changes/?utm_source=sfmc&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=2025.10.14+EPP+Newsletter&amp;utm_term=https%3a%2f%2fbipartisanpolicy.org%2fexplainer%2fwhat-shutdown-contingency-plans-show-about-federal-workforce-changes%2futm_id=96616&amp;sfmc_id=546008919&amp;sid=6xfiae803x">analysis</a> of the staffing figures published in agency contingency plans to get a sense for how recent RIFs have impacted overall staffing levels.</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;

Firings, freezes, and no clear way out: What’s happening three weeks into the federal government shutdown

Advocacy

General

Beth (1)

The Smart Growth America Board of Directors today announced that Beth Osborne has been appointed as the organization&#8217;s President and Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately.
Osborne brings nearly three decades of experience in smart growth policy and implementation to the role. Before becoming the President and CEO, she served as Vice President of Transportation and Thriving Communities at Smart Growth America, where she led the organization&#8217;s transportation work, including as Director of Transportation for America. She also previously served as SGA’s Policy Director from 2003 to 2004.
“Beth has been a driving force behind Smart Growth America’s impact for years, and on behalf of the Board and staff, I am excited to welcome her as the next President and CEO of the organization,” said Madeline Fraser Cook, Chair of Smart Growth America’s Board of Directors. “As we celebrate Smart Growth America’s 25th anniversary, I am confident that Beth is the right person to lead us into the future.
“Beth’s extensive experience, spanning local, state, and federal contexts, provides her with a nuanced understanding of how policy choices shape outcomes on the ground. That perspective equips her with the tools to connect the dots across land use, transportation, and economic development, identify barriers to the outcomes we aim to achieve, and translate complex challenges into results-oriented solutions that communities can replicate,” continued Fraser Cook.
&#8220;I am honored to step into the role of President and CEO at Smart Growth America,” said Beth Osborne. “At a time when the nation is facing a housing affordability crisis and Congress is developing its multi-year surface transportation bill, SGA is well-positioned to ensure this is done in a way that strengthens local economies, makes efficient use of public resources, and helps every community—urban, suburban, and rural—grow stronger and more resilient. I am energized by this opportunity to work with our talented staff to advance our mission, making transportation safer, housing more affordable, and communities more vibrant and sustainable.&#8221;
Prior to her return to Smart Growth America, Osborne held senior positions at the U.S. Department of Transportation as Acting Assistant Secretary and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy. In these roles, she managed the TIGER Discretionary Grant program (now known as BUILD), led the Secretary&#8217;s livability initiative, and oversaw the implementation of the 2012 surface transportation law. Earlier in her career, she served as an advisor on transportation, trade, and labor policy for Senator Tom Carper (DE) and legislative director for environmental policy at the Southern Governors’ Association. She began her public service in the U.S. House of Representatives, working for Representatives Ron Klink (PA) and Brian Baird (WA).
Across these experiences, Osborne has worked closely with decision-makers at every level of government, giving her a deep understanding not only of what cities and states need to be successful but also how government programs often fall short in supporting their goals.
During her time at USDOT, Osborne helped communities access and implement federal transportation funding and led efforts to reform the programs to better achieve their goals. Seeing firsthand how status quo practices limited change, she joined Smart Growth America and Transportation for America to advocate for a more accountable and effective federal transportation program. At SGA, she has worked extensively with state DOTs, further refining her understanding of the tools, resources, and direction states and local communities needed to deliver safer and more effective transportation systems.
These experiences have translated into significant wins for Smart Growth America, including the inclusion of transit-oriented development and a dedicated rail title in the FAST Act; identifying and rallying support for transit funding during the COVID pandemic; her clarion call for no new money for the federal surface transportation program until there is accountability to the taxpayer for delivering on the stated goals of safety, fixing crumbling infrastructure, and better connecting people to jobs and essential services; and helping redefine what community reconnection projects look like through the Reconnecting Communities Institute, and Smart Growth America’s Community Connectors program, which supports small and mid-sized communities nationwide.

Beth Osborne

Press Release

Staff

Beth Osborne announced as President and CEO of Smart Growth America

montpellier

Last month, Illinois passed SB1859, the Climate Displacement Act, one of the first pieces of legislation in the country to address the needs of climate-displaced people. As extreme weather events increasingly force Americans to relocate, it’s unlikely to be the last. Smart Growth America’s report, <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/resources/housing-for-havens/">Housing for Havens: Smart growth strategies for climate resilience</a>, provides a policy framework for states and other stakeholders working to ensure the built environment can accommodate those displaced by climate impacts. With the U.S. facing its greatest housing shortage in generations, communities must adopt strong pro-housing strategies that support both current residents and climate-displaced newcomers. These strategies should prioritize housing in well-connected areas with access to existing infrastructure and services—even before population shifts make the need urgent. 
<h3>Illinois’ Climate Displacement Act</h3>
Passed by the Illinois legislature in May and signed into law by Governor Pritzker this past August, the <a href="https://www.ilga.gov/Legislation/BillStatus?DocNum=1859&amp;GAID=18&amp;DocTypeID=SB&amp;SessionID=114&amp;GA=104">Climate Displacement Act</a> requires the state to convene a task force to chart Illinois’ approach to climate displacement. The task force will include representatives from the legislature, several state agencies, subject matter experts, and advocacy groups who will study climate displacement trends and patterns in the state. By summer 2027, it will analyze the state’s infrastructure and agency operations to identify potential needs and strategies for addressing displacement. The task force’s findings will then be submitted to the legislature to guide future policies that better support climate-displaced people.
Proactive planning like this can help Illinois, a state with relatively low risk of climate hazards like droughts, wildfires, or hurricanes, better support both its current residents and those forced to relocate. The state has already become home to those fleeing the effects of disasters like Hurricanes <a href="https://blockclubchicago.org/2025/08/29/20-years-after-hurricane-katrina-refugees-reflect-on-how-chicago-showed-were-all-in-this-together/">Katrina</a> and <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/2018/09/20/a-year-after-hurricane-maria-ripple-effects-continue-for-chicagos-puerto-rican-community/">Maria</a>. For these new residents, community support was critical for easing the transition. Strengthening that support through state-level pro-housing policies—particularly those promoting a range of housing types and price levels—can help ensure climate-displaced residents have real opportunities to rebuild their lives.
Other states have also considered legislation or taken action to help ease the transitions of those relocating due to climate events. <a href="https://www.billtrack50.com/billdetail/1871621">Wisconsin’s proposed AB139</a>, for example, would provide a one-time tax credit to those relocating from areas in California and North Carolina that have recently experienced wildfires or hurricanes. <a href="https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A272">New York’s proposed A272,</a> similar to the Illinois bill, would establish a state working group to develop a strategy for supporting climate-displaced people, to be implemented by state agencies and regional planning councils. And climate displacement will likely be a topic in discussions during <a href="https://mainemorningstar.com/2023/10/20/environment-immigrant-groups-say-state-needs-to-prepare-for-likely-climate-migration/#:~:text=For%20Cannon%2C%20that%20means%20pursuing,search%20of%20a%20livable%20environment.">Maine’s revision of its Climate Action Plan</a>, according to a member of the group drafting it. These examples demonstrate growing recognition that states must act now to plan for population shifts driven by climate change.
<h3>Housing for Havens: Smart growth strategies for climate resilience</h3>
While the challenges and policy responses will vary by state, SGA’s research found that climate-displaced people often face three key barriers: limited access to affordable housing, weak social integration, and continued exposure to climate hazards. To address these challenges, <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/resources/housing-for-havens/">Housing for Havens</a> highlights three core recommendations for local governments:
1. Prioritize pro-housing initiatives that connect housing, transportation, and amenities
Zoning reform and other pro-housing strategies can help increase the availability of diverse housing options—by type and price—in connected, convenient, and climate-safe areas. This ensures people in different stages of life and with different income levels, including those displaced by climate change, can find quality housing near jobs, schools, and services.
2. Strengthen social infrastructure to support new and long-time community members
Strong social infrastructure, like community spaces and cultural programs, can help foster a sense of community, build social networks, bridge divides, and support newcomers, including climate-displaced people.
3. Recognize &amp; prepare for climate hazards
Because no community is immune to climate impacts, local leaders should prioritize resilience measures such as climate-informed zoning, hazard mitigation, and green infrastructure. These steps benefit both current and future residents.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-107828 size-full" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/climate-haven-priorities-graphic.png" alt="" width="500" height="400" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/climate-haven-priorities-graphic.png 500w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/climate-haven-priorities-graphic-300x240.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" />
As climate migration accelerates, states like Illinois are taking important first steps to prepare. By adopting pro-housing policies, investing in social infrastructure, and planning for resilience, communities can turn the challenge of climate displacement into an opportunity for stronger, more inclusive growth. 
[button type=&#8221;info&#8221; block=&#8221;true&#8221; size=&#8221;lg&#8221; link=&#8221;https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/resources/housing-for-havens/&#8221;]Access the full Housing for Havens report to better understand our roadmap for how to get there. [/button]

Climate Change

Proactive planning for climate migration: Lessons from Illinois and beyond

Resilience

Flint Hills

Through their participation in Smart Growth America’s Culture and Community Network, a group of planners from across the Flint Hills region in Kansas is taking small steps to build confidence and capacity over time for arts and culture and creativity in transportation planning and community engagement. Through low-risk experiments, such as hosting a trivia night, participating in a monthly arts event, or organizing a small-scale design competition, these colleagues are learning how creativity can reshape planning processes and set the stage for broader integration in future, large-scale projects.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-107841" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Flint-Hills-1024x682.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="682" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Flint-Hills-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Flint-Hills-300x200.jpg 300w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Flint-Hills-768x512.jpg 768w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Flint-Hills-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Flint-Hills.jpg 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
<h3>Key regional planning staff</h3>
Flint Hills resident Janna Williams brings a background in landscape architecture and regional planning to her work with the Flint Hills Regional Council and Economic Development District. She views the current moment as an opportunity to pilot arts integration strategies that can later inform more ambitious regional planning efforts. Abigail Danner, Transportation Planner at the Flint Hills Metropolitan Planning Organization, and recent Kansas State University graduate from the landscape architecture program, is motivated by the belief that planning can be both functional and creative. She sees experimentation as a way to make engagement more approachable for younger families and underrepresented voices. Angela Schnee, City Planner for Ogden, has long been interested in bringing artistic elements into transportation projects. Her early attempt to spark a community-driven mural underscored the need to rethink how to lower barriers for participation.
<h3>Arts and culture efforts</h3>
The Flint Hills MPO is nearing the conclusion of its long-range transportation plan, Connect 2050, and, through the Culture and Community Network, has introduced creative activities into what is typically a very structured process. Instead of relying solely on open houses that usually attract a narrow demographic, they are testing:
<ul>
<li>Trivia nights at local breweries, using transportation and local history themes to engage residents in a fun, low-pressure setting.</li>
<li>Participating in Third Thursdays in Manhattan, Kansas, a downtown arts event where planning activities like mental mapping and sketching exercises are woven into existing community celebrations.</li>
<li>Family-friendly engagement activities that make concepts accessible to children and open planning conversations to new constituents.</li>
</ul>
<div class="wp-block-spacer" style="height: 20px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div>
Separately, the Regional Council is seeking to build off a successful cultural asset mapping project that identified more than 85 arts and cultural resources across the region. This mapping effort has become a foundation for future conversations about connecting arts to planning in ways that are community-driven.
<h3>Challenges along the way</h3>
Working across small agencies (the Flint Hills MPO has two employees) means that staff capacity is often stretched thin, and creative activities can feel like extra work on top of core planning responsibilities. Early efforts, such as a design competition for a community mural, revealed that participation doesn’t always come easily; agencies may need to tap into different networks, or build their own, while developing new processes, to reach potential partners. That said, a smaller agency can also mean more nimbleness and less bureaucratic processes to navigate, allowing for quicker decision-making and independence for greater experimentation and faster learning. These lessons have underscored the importance of starting small, testing formats, and iterating.
<h3>Lessons learned</h3>
The Flint Hills team’s participation in the Culture &amp; Community Network has reinforced the value of experimentation:
<ul>
<li>Creativity is a process, not a product. Engagement doesn’t need to result in a polished product or visual art to be meaningful. Creative activities like sketching or mapping, in a variety of nontraditional venues, can serve as entry points to help residents, particularly those who have rarely engaged in transportation or other planning processes share ideas.</li>
<li>Informality matters. Trivia nights and arts festivals attract audiences that might never attend a traditional public meeting or town hall.</li>
<li>Learning happens through peers. Exposure to practices in other cities and discussion with other CCN participants has given the team permission to try, fail, and adapt.</li>
</ul>
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<h3>Looking ahead</h3>
The Flint Hills team is committed to carrying these lessons they’ve acquired through CCN into future planning efforts by:
<ul>
<li>Introducing creative methods at the start of new plans rather than as end-stage add-ons.</li>
<li>Meeting quarterly and communicating regularly to share opportunities and coordinate experiments.</li>
<li>Exploring collaboration with the Kansas State University arts program and local arts groups to build momentum and capacity.</li>
<li>Using upcoming comprehensive plan updates as a testing ground for integrating arts more fully into regional planning.</li>
</ul>
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The key takeaway from Flint Hills is that creativity in planning does not require large budgets or a fully developed program from the outset. Small steps can spark imagination, broaden participation, and prepare the ground for arts and culture to be embedded more systematically in future, large-scale planning efforts.
[alert type=&#8221;info&#8221;] Smart Growth America’s Culture and Community Network ensures MPOs don’t have to take on this work alone. By connecting peers, offering tailored support, and amplifying local efforts, the network helps MPOs bring arts and culture into planning in ways that inspire action and strengthen communities. <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/programs-and-coalitions/arts-and-culture/culture-community-network/">Learn more about CCN &gt;&gt;</a>  [/alert]

Culture and Community Network

How the Flint Hills region is learning by doing to integrate arts and culture in transportation planning and engagement

Metro

Metro, the metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for the greater Portland, Oregon region, is building on nearly a decade of work in community placemaking to more deeply integrate arts and culture into its planning practice. Through its Community Placemaking program and new agency-wide initiatives, Metro is demonstrating how creativity can support engagement, long-range visioning, and data justice. Smart Growth America’s Culture &amp; Community Network (CCN) has given staff both inspiration and structure to explore how arts and culture can grow from a single program at an MPO toward broader integration agency-wide.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-107821 size-large" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Metro-1024x682.png" alt="" width="1024" height="682" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Metro-1024x682.png 1024w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Metro-300x200.png 300w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Metro-768x512.png 768w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Metro-1536x1023.png 1536w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Metro.png 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
<h3>Background</h3>
Principal planner and community placemaking grant manager Dana Lucero’s path to arts and culture at Metro began through her leadership of the Community Placemaking program. Transitioning from a role in transit, she saw an opportunity in 2017 to repurpose a dormant funding pool into a grant program that invested in human and social capital. Dana has long believed in the arts as a way to spark public interest in planning, and the program gave her the chance to put that belief into practice.
Senior public affairs specialist Lakeeyscia Griffin joined CCN through her connection with Dana, building on her own support for the placemaking program. As a photographer, musician, and videographer in her personal life, Lakeeyscia describes this work as a bridge between her creative passions and her role at Metro. For Lakeeyscia, being part of CCN was “a no-brainer,” an opportunity to link personal creativity with professional practice.
<h3>Arts and culture efforts in planning and engagement</h3>
The Community Placemaking program was first conceived in 2016 and launched its inaugural grant cycle in 2017 with $100,000 awarded to six organizations. What started small has grown steadily, fueled by strong ties to socially engaged artists and supported by Metro’s agency-wide equity strategy.
Through this program, Metro has moved beyond treating artists as vendors to engaging them as collaborators. Over the years, artists have led storytelling projects, community gatherings, and creative processes that reframe planning issues in accessible and meaningful ways.
As Metro’s planning, development, and research communications and engagement manager, Molly Cooney-Mesker was struck by how the Community Placemaking program has shifted the dynamics of participation. During one virtual meeting, a Community Placemaking program grantee told her directly: “this is what real community engagement is.” For Molly, that moment made it clear that Metro’s commitment to engagement must include placemaking and other creative practices that help communities address issues in their own way.
<h3>Challenges along the way</h3>
Metro’s arts and culture efforts have not been without hurdles.
<ul>
<li>Ensuring geographic representation across the region can be a challenge. While most placemaking applications come from Portland, Metro must distribute resources region-wide.</li>
<li>Institutional processes can at times feel at odds with creativity, requiring staff to reconcile artistic and creative processes with the realities of structured, time-bound grantmaking and contracting.</li>
<li>Accommodating capacity limitations and acknowledging imperfect processes are ongoing challenges. Recognizing that mistakes will be made, staff are committed and accountable to learning and improving continuously with each cycle or project.</li>
</ul>
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As Lakeeyscia describes it, “these structures may feel diametrically opposed to the cultivation of arts, but they’re necessary so that when artists come in, they can do what they’re here to do.”
<h3>Lessons learned</h3>
Participation in CCN has reinforced several lessons for the Metro team:
<ul>
<li>Start where the soil is fertile. Echoing City of Seattle Director of Arts and Culture Gülgün Kayim’s advice during the CCN convening, focus first on staff who identify as having a creative practice or are already eager to engage with arts and culture.</li>
<li>Meaningful work is the baseline. Contracting and program structures must prioritize a purposeful, not transactional, experience for artists.</li>
<li>Learning is ongoing. Each grant cycle, project, or experiment integrating arts and culture should build in reflection and adaptation.</li>
<li>Be intentional about dedicating space for the work. Carving out time and permission to think creatively is essential in an environment where work responsibilities can occasionally feel overwhelming.</li>
<li>CCN provided needed support for internal casemaking. The team also values the national perspective and network provided by CCN. Examples from other MPOs and regional planning agencies such as Boston, Atlanta, Seattle, and the Twin Cities offer evidence that strengthens Metro’s internal case for integrating arts and culture into planning practices.</li>
</ul>
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<h4>Looking ahead</h4>
Bolstered by their participation in CCN, Metro is building on its Community Placemaking program to weave arts and culture into larger regional initiatives. In the Future Vision process—an 18-month, 50-year regional visioning effort—Metro has begun intentionally centering artists and culture-bearers. Staff have already interviewed local artists and are working with Subashini Ganesan-Forbes, a cultural leader and former Creative Laureate of the City of Portland, to design ways for artists to help guide Future Vision. Separately, Metro staff working on Safe Streets for All are exploring how arts can expand the concept of “data justice” by elevating qualitative stories and lived experiences alongside technical datasets. Additionally, the team is exploring the creation of an arts and culture cohort of internal staff who have a creative practice or who are interested in the arts and cultural strategies. The intention is for this group to meet regularly, hear from artists, and pilot small-scale experiments.
Metro’s story illustrates how a regional agency can move beyond a discrete grant program toward embedding arts and culture into many aspects of planning practice. By starting small and establishing a strong, proven foundation, learning from peers, and aligning with broader agency priorities, Metro is showing how creativity can expand the possibilities of regional planning.
[alert type=&#8221;info&#8221;] Smart Growth America’s Culture and Community Network ensures MPOs don’t have to take on this work alone. By connecting peers, offering tailored support, and amplifying local efforts, the network helps MPOs bring arts and culture into planning in ways that inspire action and strengthen communities. <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/programs-and-coalitions/arts-and-culture/culture-community-network/">Learn more about CCN &gt;&gt;</a>  [/alert]

From placemaking to future vision: How Metro is expanding arts and culture in regional planning in the Portland region

Screenshot 2025-10-15 at 9.44.56 AM

We’re short <a href="https://www.zillow.com/research/housing-deficit-35317/">4.7 million homes.</a> Our approach to housing aims to build more homes in the right places at the right price so that everyone can live in a community that supports them at every stage of life.
But what do we mean by the right place? In this series of explainer blogs, we’re taking a closer look at how, in addition to focusing on supply, smart growth strategies on <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/the-housing-we-stopped-building-and-why-we-need-it-now/">type</a>, place, and <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/the-price-isnt-right-why-getting-housing-costs-under-control-matters/">price</a> are essential to solving the housing crisis and creating the types of homes and communities that allow people to stay, grow, and thrive.
<h3>We&#8217;ve been building in the wrong places for too long</h3>
For decades, land use policies have shaped the way our neighborhoods look and feel, determining where we can build new homes, what types we can build, and how they can look. In many places, these policies have focused on building more sprawling subdivisions on the urban fringe, with communities expanding outwards onto natural and agricultural lands.
But this approach has drawbacks. Building on the edges drives up costs for governments and households, all while not meeting demand for where many people actually want to live. Instead, communities should focus on building homes in connected, convenient, and climate-safe locations, close to jobs, schools, and daily needs. In doing so, they can:
1. Meet the demand for walkable, connected communities
Our <a href="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Foot-Traffic-Ahead-2023.pdf">Foot Traffic Ahead</a> report found significant price premiums for homes in walkable places like main streets, indicating significant unmet demand for more homes in these areas. In other words, more people want to live in walkable areas, but because we limit the building of housing there, there aren’t enough homes for everyone. This pushes prices up, limiting the number of folks who can afford to live there. The current rules, for example, restrict walkable development to just 1.2 percent of the land area of the U.S.’s largest metropolitan areas.
2. Provide people with more options for how they get around
When homes are far away from our daily needs, it is challenging for those without easy access to a car and the ability to drive to access jobs, schools, grocery stores, and other necessities. This means many people have to dedicate significant amounts of income to car ownership and other expenses, like gas, parking, tolls, and maintenance, while also spending much of their time traveling to their destinations. On top of that, with an average of 20 pedestrians killed each day in 2022, as found in our <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/signature-reports/dangerous-by-design/">Dangerous by Design report</a>, building on the edge isolates many to their homes—or forces them to risk their health and safety.
3. Allocate limited resources more efficiently and make better use of underutilized land &amp; existing infrastructure
When development occurs on the edge of communities, more roads, pipes, wires, and other infrastructure must be built and maintained. Our <a href="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Rationale-for-Smart-Growth-Fiscal-Impact-Analysis-and-Model-Fiscal-Impact-Assessment-Ordinance_2023.pdf">Smart Growth Fiscal Impact Analysis</a> found that local governments can use their budgets more effectively by focusing development on vacant or underutilized lots within communities, taking advantage of existing infrastructure, and serving more people with fewer expenses.
4. Build new homes outside hazard zones
As communities expand into wetlands, forests, farms, and other natural and agricultural lands, more people are <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/an-expanding-bulls-eye-how-sprawl-puts-people-in-natural-hazard-zones-and-how-smart-growth-can-help/">put in the path of hazards</a> like floods, wildfires, or hurricanes. This increases risk to lives and property and increases costs to make upgrades and, if disaster strikes, recovery.
<h3>How we lead this work</h3>
To build in the right places and support vibrant communities, our land use policies need to change. Smart Growth America supports efforts to reform outdated rules, rethink land availability, and identify and improve financing tools, with the goal of building more housing in the right places.
Our work on land use policies focuses on:
1. Promoting infill development
Many underutilized or vacant lots are owned by public entities (like local governments and educational institutions), faith-based groups (like churches), and large employers (like those with commercial or office parks). Reformed land use policies, as well as incentives for public-private partnerships and development of underutilized sites, can support the conversion of these high-potential sites to housing, helping meet community needs and generating better value for the taxpayer or investor.
Infill development focuses on building housing on underutilized or vacant lots within existing neighborhoods. By building here, communities can take advantage of existing infrastructure, invest in their neighborhoods, and strengthen the urban fabric. With infill, more people have easy access to amenities like job centers and diverse retail environments, providing more economic opportunities and a better sense of community.
2. Supporting transit-oriented development (TOD)
Transit-oriented development brings increased density and a mix of uses (homes, businesses, etc.) in areas with public transit, like buses, streetcars, or subways. This means more key destinations are close to public transit, allowing more people to reach their jobs, schools, grocery stores, and other daily needs without needing to own a car. TOD also supports communities with constrained budgets; since transportation infrastructure often requires significant public investments, unlocking more development around transit and boosting transit ridership provides a greater return on investment.
TOD can take place through both public and private development. State laws, like <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-center/with-sb-79-california-makes-transit-oriented-development-law/">California’s SB 79</a>, for example, change zoning codes to allow more development around some of the state’s metro, light rail, commuter rail, and bus rapid transit systems, while also allowing public transit agencies to directly pursue development on land they own.
3. Redeveloping brownfields
Brownfields—former industrial or otherwise contaminated sites—were often major employment centers and are often well-served by existing infrastructure and located within existing neighborhoods and communities. However, they can also pose public health and environmental risks. Floods or wildfires can spread contaminants from these sites (heavy metals, oil residue, and other industrial chemicals) into surrounding homes, waterways, and public spaces.
Equitable and sustainable redevelopment of brownfields allows for the cleanup of these sites, removing or neutralizing the contaminants so that they no longer pose health risks, and reusing this land for housing or community amenities. By redeveloping brownfields, communities can make use of existing infrastructure, support community prosperity, and alleviate risks to public health. Our <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/programs-and-coalitions/national-brownfields-coalition/">National Brownfields Coalition</a> advocates for federal policies to support brownfield remediation and redevelopment.
4. Building climate resilience
By building in areas with lower risks of climate hazards, like floods and wildfires, communities can lower household and governmental costs of building resilient homes and infrastructure. To do this, communities can incorporate both present and future climate concerns into their land use policies.
<a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/zoning-for-climate/">Climate-informed zoning,</a> for example, can help direct new development away from areas prone to hazards by providing density bonuses in locations more likely to be safe for the long term. Planning for future climate impacts can also mean fortifying or investing in infrastructure in hazard-prone areas with significant existing development, a problem faced by many coastal or riverine cities. The market need for additional safe, climate-resilient development is especially likely to impact <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/resources/housing-for-havens/">climate havens</a>, where there is relatively lower climate risk.
<h3>What work we’ve done on place in the past</h3>
Smart Growth America works with communities across the U.S. to help ensure we’re addressing the nation’s housing shortage by building more housing in the right places. We provide direct support to local governments and community-based organizations, advocate for reformed land use policies and financing arrangements, and conduct research and thought leadership on emerging trends.
Our recent work has included:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/resources/designation-2050-vermont-state-designation-program-evaluation-and-reform/">Vermont State Designation Program Evaluation and Reform</a>: SGA led this state-level advisory project, which led to adoption in state law less than one year later. Work focused on how a state program could direct more housing into town and village centers and reduce development’s vulnerability to climate impacts, especially flooding in historic riverfront towns.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/resources/north-end-equitable-development-strategy-needs/">North End Equitable Development Strategy (NEEDS)</a>: SGA supported a group of residents from the North End of Newport, Rhode Island, to advocate for housing affordability in their neighborhood, leading to the adoption of local zoning amendments.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/resources/the-case-for-climate-informed-zoning-a-study-of-fiscal-impact-in-norfolk-va/">The Case for Climate-Informed Zoning: A Study of Fiscal Impact in Norfolk, VA:</a> Together with the Lincoln Institute for Land Policy, SGA studied the economic impacts of Norfolk’s climate-informed land use policy, including an analysis of impacts on property values and on the city’s annual budget.</li>
</ul>

housing place

Zoning Reform

Why place matters when building housing

Zoning