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LOCUS Membership Options

LOCUS members have a voice in state capitols and in Washington; opportunities to network with like-minded professionals; new ideas, resources, and learning opportunities through LOCUS’ policy resources and newsletters; and a platform to showcase their projects and enhance their commitment to triple-bottom-line development.

COALITIONS

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*Non-profit Developer: a nonprofit organization delivering and/or managing housing, including community-based organizations, faith-based organizations and community development corporations
**Small-scale Developer: a firm with a limited number of small-scale projects
***Boutique Developer or Public Development Entity: a small or mid-cap firm specializing in TOD, mixed-use or urban infill, operating in a limited number of markets, or a public development entity

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For inquiries on Steering Committee membership or our Leadership Circle, please email us at <a href="mailto:locus@smartgrowthamerica.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link-card="true">locus@smartgrowthamerica.org.</a>

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About Us

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<img class="alignright wp-image-93966 size-medium" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/LOCUS_LOGO_Final_MAIN_Color_v1_300ppi-300x150.png" alt="" width="300" height="150" />LOCUS, meaning "place" in Latin, is a national coalition of real estate developers and investors advocating for sustainable, equitable, and walkable development in metropolitan areas across America. The coalition brings together purpose-driven investors to influence smart growth policies at federal, state, and local levels.

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LOCUS’ mission is aligned with Smart Growth America’s vision: to create a country where everyone can live in a healthy, prosperous, and resilient place. We achieve this by building a diverse coalition, advocating for impactful development policies, and providing resources to drive change in local communities.

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LOCUS is a long-time leader in advocacy efforts to advance transit-oriented development and leveraging infrastructure investment to support housing and community development. Our priorities are at the core of everything we do and push us toward the ultimate goal of affordable, sustainable, and equitable communities.
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Our Priorities

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LOCUS members benefit from:
<ul>
	<li>A curated policy newsletter</li>
	<li>Policy analyses and reports</li>
	<li>Invitations to events and workshops with policymakers</li>
	<li>Opportunities to shape Smart Growth America’s policy agenda</li>
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Member Benefits

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The LOCUS <a href="/programs-and-coalitions/locus/steering-committee/">Steering Committee</a> guides the strategic decisions and advocacy efforts for the coalition. Comprising leading developers, they influence federal policies and provide technical input on legislation. Membership is by nomination or application.

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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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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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<a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/services/cc-application-form/">Smart Growth America is now accepting applications for the second round of our Community Connectors program,</a> a national initiative helping small and mid-sized cities repair the damage caused by divisive and dangerous roads. With support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, this program supports locally led efforts to reconnect communities and improve street safety—particularly in neighborhoods harmed by past infrastructure decisions.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-106781" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Community-Connectors-202526-1024x576.png" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Community-Connectors-202526-1024x576.png 1024w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Community-Connectors-202526-300x169.png 300w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Community-Connectors-202526-768x432.png 768w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Community-Connectors-202526-1536x864.png 1536w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Community-Connectors-202526.png 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
Across the country, neighborhoods have been split apart by highways and high-speed roads that were built through the heart of communities—especially Black and Brown neighborhoods—under the guise of progress. These roads disconnect families, harm local economies, and make it dangerous or impossible for people to walk, bike, or access daily needs safely without a car.
While Congress recently rescinded over $2.4 billion from the <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/grants/reconnecting-communities">Reconnecting Communities program</a>—including funding already promised to local projects—this moment demands that we keep pushing forward.
Communities can still work at the local and state levels to repair the harm. Our second year of the Community Connectors program will help cities and community-based organizations plan and implement people-centered road redesigns, such as <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/programs-and-coalitions/national-complete-streets-coalition/quick-build-demonstration-projects/">Complete Streets and quick builds</a>, as well as strengthen relationships between city leaders and community members.
We’re seeking three teams from cities with populations between 50,000 and 500,000 to join a yearlong cohort (Sept 2025–June 2026) focused on transforming divisive or dangerous arterial roads. Each team—which must be made up of a local government and a community-based organization—will receive:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">$25,000 to implement a temporary safety demonstration project,</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Up to $20,000 in expert design support, and</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Full travel costs to a required in-person convening in fall 2025. 
</li>
</ul>
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Don’t miss an opportunity to join a peer learning cohort and gain hands-on experience making people-centered, equity-driven changes, setting the stage for longer-term transformation.
Applications are due by August 31, 2025. <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/services/cc-application-form/">Click here to apply.</a>

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Harrisonburg, Virginia was selected for a previous round of the Community Connectors program where 15 communities received capacity building subgrants and wraparound technical assistance to develop and advance ambitious projects to restore the damage of past infrastructure decisions. One of Harrisonburg’s final projects (a temporary demonstration project) helped inspire this year’s specific focus on divisive or dangerous roadways.
The city-led Harrisonburg team came in with a project proposal to reimagine or rework Mason Street, a four-lane arterial just north of downtown originally built during the larger project of “urban renewal” in the 1960s in the historically Black Northeast Neighborhood. As part of those “renewal” activities, black-owned businesses were seized, more than a hundred homes were taken and families displaced, and the city’s housing authority was created to implement these damaging plans. Many properties were seized to add a new street within this small city’s street grid, but instead of a modest city street, it was built to the typical 1960s standards of the time with five wide lanes and a clear focus on moving vehicles quickly right through the middle of the heart of the city. The result is a physical and emotional scar that to this day that separates the historic fabric of downtown and the Northeast neighborhood.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-106780" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/harrisonburg-1-1024x811.png" alt="" width="1024" height="811" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/harrisonburg-1-1024x811.png 1024w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/harrisonburg-1-300x238.png 300w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/harrisonburg-1-768x608.png 768w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/harrisonburg-1.png 1126w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
The city’s team included two Black-led community-based organizations in the neighborhood. Building trust between the neighborhood writ large and the city was a core priority for this team. So when it became clear early on that the neighborhood hadn’t been fully engaged in the city’s original aspirations to remake Mason Street, the city took a step back to prioritize the needs and desires of the neighborhood first and use the program to advance a small-area planning process for the entire NE neighborhood. 12-18 months into the two-year program, SGA staff suggested that a logical step toward reimagining Mason Street could be our Complete Streets Leadership Academy and a temporary project to test designs, gather feedback, and further engage the NE neighborhood. The team invited additional residents and city staff to participate in a CSLA cohort, which culminated with the team designing and implementing a month-long temporary demonstration project on Mason Street to test out their ideas and engage the broader community with them as well. 
Mason Street is four lanes divided by a median with occasional turn lanes. The final temporary project design closed the southbound side of the median and converted the northbound side into two-way travel, eliminated three traffic lights in favor of two-way stops and two new temporary roundabouts, and created new crosswalks, among other improvements. Data collection is still ongoing throughout July but initial observations showed no major impact on traffic, with travel times that appeared shorter for travel along the entire four-block corridor.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-106779" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/harrisonburg-2-1024x767.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="767" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/harrisonburg-2-1024x767.jpg 1024w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/harrisonburg-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/harrisonburg-2-768x575.jpg 768w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/harrisonburg-2-1536x1150.jpg 1536w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/harrisonburg-2.jpg 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
Here are some key contributors to the success of their project—which also point to what we want to emulate with the teams in this next round of the Community Connectors program.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The team included numerous city departments (Public Works, Planning and Community Development, the City Manager’s office, Communications) but also demonstrated a real commitment to participation by having the deputy city manager serve as the project lead, with the full backing of the city manager. </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The core team included an elected city council member who also runs a black history nonprofit based in the NE neighborhood, and a NE neighborhood association leader.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The core team met weekly for the duration of the Community Connectors program (and CSLA), alternating between in-person and virtual meetings. </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">We often say that “projects move at the speed of trust,” and when it became clear that trust levels were low and the overall initial project idea developed by the city didn’t have community buy-in, the city paused, took a step back, altered the course of their project to develop a project together that everyone supported.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The core Community Connectors team was expanded for the Complete Streets Leadership Academy. The team brought in several NE neighborhood residents, more city staff, a member of the local bike advocacy coalition, and a pastor and resident in NE. The DPW director also participated in every session, which was crucial as the head of the department responsible for implementing the final demonstration project. And the team allowed a portion of their grant to be used to compensate the residents and CBO members for their time.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Mason Street wasn’t just a dangerous street in need of changes. It was also intrinsically connected to the city’s painful history of using transportation to intentionally segregate, divide, and displace people. We are hopeful to find other streets with a similar history for this round of projects.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The city controls all of the streets within their borders, even the two main state routes. This made changes easy to coordinate within just one level of government. </li>
</ul>
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Reconnecting Harrisonburg, VA

REQUEST-FOR-PROPOSAL

Through this Request for Proposals (RFP), Smart Growth America (SGA) is seeking proposals from qualified firms or individuals to provide technical expertise on designing and implementing quick-build street safety demonstration projects. Services will run from fall 2025 to June 2026 and include workshop facilitation, technical advice, and design services. The deadline to submit is August 22, 2025, at 5 p.m. Eastern.
[alert type=&#8221;info&#8221;] Want to know more about this work or the program you would be supporting? <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/services/community-connectors-2/">Learn more here!</a> [/alert]
<h3>Background</h3>
Smart Growth America helps create healthy, prosperous, and resilient places to live for all people through research, advocacy, and direct community support. Our work spans housing and land use, transportation, and economic development to find solutions to communities’ most pressing needs. The Thriving Communities team advances this vision by supporting communities as they tackle issues related to transportation, public health, and equity. One strategy available to achieve this is through <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/programs-and-coalitions/national-complete-streets-coalition/quick-build-demonstration-projects/">quick-build demonstrations</a>, temporary installations to test new street designs that improve safety and accessibility. 
In 2025, Smart Growth America, with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, will bring together three communities to repair damage from divisive infrastructure. This program will build on SGA’s previous <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/services/grants/overview/">Community Connectors program</a> and the organization’s experience with the <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/complete-streets-leadership-academies-report/">Complete Streets Leadership Academy</a>. The program consists of virtual capacity-building sessions, a 2-day in-person workshop, and community support as participants work together to design and implement a quick-build demonstration to improve safety and reconnect divided neighborhoods. Making tangible changes to streets, even if temporary, is a powerful way to demonstrate that people’s lives matter and that solving the crisis of traffic fatalities and severe injuries needs creativity, immediate action, and commitment. 
<h3>Project goals and scope of services  </h3>
Smart Growth America will launch this effort in the fall of 2025, with three participating communities selected through a competitive application process. The successful technical expert will be expected to participate in and support the virtual capacity-building sessions, a 2-day in-person workshop, and coaching of the individual communities as they come together to successfully implement a quick-build demonstration. 
Essential responsibilities for this role include the following tasks and deliverables:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Participate in planning calls with the local points of contact throughout the program, as well as internal planning calls with SGA.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Work closely with SGA to refine the overall workshop curriculum. </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Develop, present, and facilitate trainings within virtual sessions on specific topics identified in collaboration with SGA. </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Travel to one of the participating communities for a 2-day workshop and serve as a co-facilitator of the workshop with Smart Growth America. </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Attend up to six 2-hour virtual workshop sessions and other meetings as needed (whether presenting or not) to support the facilitation of breakout exercises.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Provide occasional direct support and guidance to the participating community teams on an as-needed basis as they plan the quick-build projects.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Provide design and technical services, including providing concept drawings and/or reviewing design plans, advising on design standards, sharing research and existing specs for multimodal treatments/infrastructure, and other design services as requested by the client. Proposals should include the rate and number of hours available within the budget for these services.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Review written deliverables (project case studies and brief recommendations) produced by SGA at the conclusion of the program.</li>
</ul>
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<h3>Budget</h3>
Work is planned to begin upon selection and conclude by June 15, 2026. The budget for the technical experts for this project is between $50,000 and $70,000 for the consultant to develop and implement the project deliverables. Consultant travel, lodging, and meals to participate in the in-person workshop must be included in the maximum budget.  Outside of the in-person workshop, it is expected that all work will be completed remotely. Payment will occur on a monthly basis upon receipt of invoices submitted for payment and reimbursement. The budget should include a breakdown of costs demonstrating the amount requested for support for the full cohort (i.e. virtual session facilitation) and support for individual teams (i.e. time for individual design support). 
SGA will kick off a second year of the program in July 2026 with at least 3 more cities. SGA and the selected technical expert may discuss extending the existing agreement into year two based on how the first year goes. 
<h3>Evaluation criteria</h3>
SGA is seeking a diverse pool of proposals. Black, Indigenous, and people of color-led and women-owned companies are encouraged to apply. Applicants will be selected based on the following desired criteria:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Substantial experience and thought leadership around topics related to Complete Streets and quick-build demonstrations, including designing for activity-friendly routes, community engagement, data collection, and advancing projects through all stages from development to installation;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Meaningful experience working in and with transportation agencies (experience with state departments of transportation preferred);</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Experience working and trust-building in and/or with community-based organizations and advocates working to advance Complete Streets and activity-friendly routes; </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Proposed budget.</li>
</ul>
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<h3>Proposal submission</h3>
Interested applicants should submit their proposal via email to Heidi Simon (<a href="mailto:hsimon@smartgrowthamerica.org">hsimon@smartgrowthamerica.org</a>) by August 22, 2025, at 5 p.m. Eastern.
Proposals should be formatted as a single PDF and include: 
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Overview: A letter of interest of no more than one page, describing your interest and relevant experience in this opportunity. </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Background: Brief biographies of key staff, descriptions of three past projects relevant to this RFP and Smart Growth America that have been completed in the past five (5) years, and other knowledge the organization should have in the selection process. </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Proposed budget and rates: Proposers are encouraged to submit a proposed budget at their best terms, including hourly rate(s) and the estimated cost breakdown to produce the tasks and deliverables described above. Actual contract hours will be determined in collaboration with SGA after selection. </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">References: A list of three professional references. At least one reference should be a current/former client.</li>
</ul>
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<h3>Anticipated selection timeline</h3>
If interviews are necessary, the shortlisted firms or individuals will be invited to participate in an interview process with an evaluation committee, to be scheduled during the week of September 1, 2025 (tentative). SGA reserves the right to award this contract based on initial proposals received without formal interviews and to award all or part of this project to one or more firms. 
SGA will make a selection by the week of September 12, 2025, and will notify candidates after selection is complete. Questions regarding the RFP should be sent to Heidi Simon (<a href="mailto:hsimon@smartgrowthamerica.org">hsimon@smartgrowthamerica.org</a>) by August 15, 2025.

Request for Proposals

Request for proposals: Quick-Build Demonstration Technical Experts

General

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Over the past decade, more communities have introduced policies that integrate both Complete Streets and Green Streets. These approaches offer a range of environmental benefits while reinforcing the goals of the Complete Streets movement. These efforts show how streetscapes can be designed not only for safety and mobility, but also to enhance sustainability and climate resilience.
<h3>What are Green Streets? </h3>
Roads are a major source of <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/pollution-and-the-pavement/">pollution</a> in urban environments: asphalt releases <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abb9785">compounds</a> linked to asthma and car tires are increasingly <a href="https://e360.yale.edu/features/tire-pollution-toxic-chemicals">linked</a> to microplastics and toxic chemicals in waterways. Pavement is a well-known contributor to the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/heatislands/what-are-heat-islands">heat island effect</a>, where urban areas are significantly hotter on average than the vegetated surrounding areas, and to <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/expanding-paved-areas-has-an-outsize-effect-on-urban-flooding1/">urban flooding</a>, since water can’t soak into the ground when it’s covered. Green Streets not only reduce the area of paved surfaces, but actively mitigate many of the harmful environmental and public health impacts of roads, while improving people’s <a href="https://www.epa.gov/green-infrastructure/social-benefits-green-infrastructure">health and wellbeing</a>.
Using the public right-of-way for stormwater infrastructure, street trees, and other environmental strategies makes a street a Green Street. Some other examples include: planted bump outs and chicanes, bioswales along the curb, parklets, and more. These components are designed to work with the ecosystem, such as the soil type and natural flow of water, for the greatest benefit to habitats, air and water quality, and public health and wellbeing. Green Streets bring an ecological component into transportation planning, making the impact of our cities on the natural environment more careful, thoughtful, and restorative.
<figure id="attachment_106700" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-106700" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-106700" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/green-streets-1-1024x768.png" alt="" width="1024" height="768" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/green-streets-1-1024x768.png 1024w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/green-streets-1-300x225.png 300w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/green-streets-1-768x576.png 768w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/green-streets-1-1536x1152.png 1536w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/green-streets-1.png 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-106700" class="wp-caption-text">Trees and vegetation along this street in Washington, DC provide shade and other benefits.</figcaption></figure>
[alert type=&#8221;info&#8221;] Want to learn more? Check out EPA’s <a href="https://www.epa.gov/G3/learn-about-green-streets">Green Streets, Green Jobs, Green Towns Initiative</a> and NACTO’s <a href="https://nacto.org/publication/urban-street-stormwater-guide/">Urban Street Stormwater Guide</a>. [/alert]
<h3>Complete and Green Streets go hand-in-hand</h3>
Green Streets and Complete Streets work in tandem, helping to ensure that  streets are designed to serve people and the planet. Building a Complete Streets network requires accommodating all road users in every project. Green Streets offer a sustainable way to build this network without worsening environmental impacts. Integrating green infrastructure into Complete Streets policies delivers measurable benefits. Planted buffers can protect bike lanes, while bioswales within chicanes help slow traffic. Street trees add visual friction to reduce vehicle speeds and offer essential shade for pedestrians and cyclists. Using Green Streets as part of Complete Streets policies brings even more benefits to all users and improves the surrounding environment for everyone.
<figure id="attachment_106701" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-106701" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-106701" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/green-streets-2-1024x768.png" alt="" width="1024" height="768" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/green-streets-2-1024x768.png 1024w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/green-streets-2-300x225.png 300w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/green-streets-2-768x576.png 768w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/green-streets-2-1536x1152.png 1536w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/green-streets-2.png 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-106701" class="wp-caption-text">Trees and other vegetation provide environmental and road safety benefits in this Washington, DC neighborhood.</figcaption></figure>
<h4>Green Streets in Nashville</h4>
Nashville’s Executive Order Number 045: Green and Complete Streets Policy stands out as <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/nashville-tn-building-on-the-foundation/">one of this year’s top-scoring examples in SGA&#8217;s 2025 Best Complete Streets Policies report.</a> This policy weaves together environmental, public health, and well-being objectives with Green Streets strategies, ensuring that sustainability is central to every project. Guided by its <a href="https://www.nashville.gov/departments/metro-clerk/legal-resources/executive-orders/mayor-freddie-oconnell/fo045#:~:text=ENVIRONMENT%20AND%20HEALTH">“Environment and Health” principle</a>, the policy targets improvements in air quality, stormwater management, and urban heat reduction through initiatives like planting shade trees and vegetation—all while promoting active transportation. By embedding green infrastructure at the core of its project selection, Nashville offers a compelling model for building healthier, more resilient communities. 
<figure id="attachment_106702" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-106702" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-106702" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/green-streets-3-1024x768.png" alt="" width="1024" height="768" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/green-streets-3-1024x768.png 1024w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/green-streets-3-300x225.png 300w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/green-streets-3-768x576.png 768w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/green-streets-3.png 1396w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-106702" class="wp-caption-text">A Complete Streets project <a href="https://www.nashville.gov/departments/transportation/projects/bikeways/12th-avenue-south">under construction in Nashville</a> that includes bioswales that help water management while also protecting cyclists and sidewalk users.</figcaption></figure>

Best Complete Streets Policies

Green streets

Nashville

Complete Streets and Green Streets

TN 3

Tennessee’s participation in the <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/complete-streets-leadership-academies-report/">2023 Complete Streets Leadership Academy</a> sparked a wave of lasting change. From local safety demonstrations to statewide research and implementation, the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) has been partnering with decision-makers in Chattanooga, Memphis, and Nashville to continue the momentum in making safer streets for everyone.
<h3>Background</h3>
SGA’s <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/signature-reports/dangerous-by-design/">Dangerous by Design</a> report found <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ys0g8gvFUk&amp;t=1s">Memphis</a> to be the deadliest metro area for pedestrians, based on fatality rates from 2018 to 2022, and Tennessee the 11th most dangerous state. In 2023, TDOT worked with the city governments of Chattanooga, Memphis, and Nashville to install quick-build demonstration projects on state–owned roads with support from Smart Growth America’s CSLA. Prior to the CSLA, TDOT had been implementing a <a href="https://www.tn.gov/tdot/multimodal-transportation-resources/bicycle-and-pedestrian-program/pedestrian-road-safety-initiative.html">Pedestrian Road Safety Initiative</a> (PRSI) to address dangerous crossings with safety countermeasures like pedestrian hybrid beacons, refuge islands, and other interventions. These projects took around three years to design and install, and Tennessee communities urgently needed safety improvements with a faster turnaround, making quick-build demonstration projects a good fit for TDOT’s safety effort toolkit.
[alert type=&#8221;info&#8221;] Quick-build demonstration projects are temporary installations that test new strategies to improve safety and access for people traveling, particularly people walking, biking, and rolling. They can also be used to pilot Complete Streets strategies. <a href="http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/programs-and-coalitions/national-complete-streets-coalition/quick-build-demonstration-projects/">Learn more about quick builds here &gt;&gt;</a>
Pedestrian hybrid beacons are a traffic control device to help people cross mid-block. The beacons above the roadway are dark until someone crossing the street pushes a call button, then the lights flash yellow to catch the attention of drivers, then red to require drivers to stop. <a href="https://highways.dot.gov/safety/proven-safety-countermeasures/pedestrian-hybrid-beacons">Learn more here &gt;&gt;</a>
Refuge islands are medians between lanes of traffic built for people to feel more comfortable when crossing. Islands reduce the exposure of pedestrians to moving traffic and can help people cross multiple lanes. <a href="https://highways.dot.gov/safety/proven-safety-countermeasures/medians-and-pedestrian-refuge-islands-urban-and-suburban-areas">Learn more here &gt;&gt; </a>[/alert]
<h3>CSLA quick-build demonstration projects</h3>
Through the CSLA, the city teams chose temporary projects that held promise for long-term, permanent improvements, like corridors slated for PRSI improvements, while developing pathways for other demonstration projects. In <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/chattanooga-tn-csla/">Chattanooga</a>, improved crossings, a temporary refuge island, and paint on sidewalks made it safer for people to cross the road by catching the attention of drivers and demonstrated that a quick-build project can be effective on a small state road. <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/memphis-tn-csla/">Memphis’s</a> project site was anticipating a permanent pedestrian hybrid beacon through PRSI, so their quick-build project used a plastic pedestrian refuge island as a temporary improvement. Once the permanent island was installed, the city would be able to reuse the plastic refuge island elsewhere for future quick-build projects.
<figure id="attachment_106661" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-106661" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-106661" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TN-1-1024x768.png" alt="" width="1024" height="768" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TN-1-1024x768.png 1024w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TN-1-300x225.png 300w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TN-1-768x576.png 768w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TN-1-1536x1152.png 1536w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TN-1.png 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-106661" class="wp-caption-text">Participants at the in-person workshop for the 2023 TN CSLA.</figcaption></figure>
The <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/nashville-tn-csla/">Nashville</a> team selected Dickerson Pike as their project site because it was the most dangerous corridor in Tennessee for people walking and biking, based on TDOT data. A lot of organizations were already aware of the safety issues at this site and were ready to work together on this project. Nashville and TDOT worked with the <a href="https://www.civicdesigncenter.org/">Civic Design Center</a> for quick build experience,  <a href="https://www.walkbikenashville.org/">WalkBike Nashville</a> for design concepts, the artist <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jamersonsgc/?hl=en">Charles Key</a> for murals, and the Tennessee Department of Health for additional funding to support the project. Marking crosswalks, adding a pedestrian island, and delineating driveway entrances through the quick build reduced speeds and crashes at the site and improved the yield rate of drivers waiting for pedestrians to cross, based on data collected by the city. This demonstration project is still in the ground today as the city completes designs for permanent improvements. 
<figure id="attachment_106660" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-106660" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-106660" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TN-2-1024x767.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="767" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TN-2-1024x767.jpg 1024w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TN-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TN-2-768x575.jpg 768w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TN-2-1536x1150.jpg 1536w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TN-2.jpg 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-106660" class="wp-caption-text">Neighborhood paint day for Chattanooga’s quick build. Source: Brandon Sutton.</figcaption></figure>
<h3>Building on the momentum</h3>
TDOT, Nashville, and other partners are keeping the momentum going from the 2023 quick builds in a variety of ways. TDOT is working with researchers at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, part of the <a href="https://www.pedbikesafety.org/">Center for Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety</a>, to develop <a href="https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/tdot/research/2023-24-25-one-pagers/2025---revised-one-pagers/RES2025-07%20Summary.pdf">statewide guidelines</a> for quick-build projects. These guidelines will be based on best practices identified from a literature review and from ongoing demonstration projects by the city of Knoxville. Knoxville’s quick-build projects are part of the city’s <a href="https://www.knoxvilletn.gov/government/city_departments_offices/engineering/transportation_engineering_division/visionzero">Vision Zero</a> program and the safety outcomes will be included in the statewide guidelines, as a way of front-loading data collection. The statewide guidelines will be for city staff to navigate two tracks: one to install quick builds on local roads and another for quick builds on state roads. The state road guidelines will use TDOT’s existing approved materials list to provide an easy reference point of materials and designs for safety improvements. The local road guidelines will be more flexible for cities to install creative safety projects and will be especially helpful for smaller cities without transportation staff. This guide will also be a useful reference for TDOT engineers to feel confident in knowing what to do when a city proposes a quick-build project on a state route. As quick-build projects are installed, the guide can be updated to reflect lessons learned in the process.
Nashville is continuing their pedestrian safety work by installing permanent safety improvements at the Dickerson Pike intersection. The permanent project will include a pedestrian signal for safer crossings and artistic sidewalks that catch the attention of drivers and keep the celebratory feeling of the quick build art. The quick-build project helped city engineers estimate the cost of a permanent project, which allowed the city to quickly identify funding opportunities for the full build. Nashville’s ongoing work includes a Complete Streets <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/nashville-tn-building-on-the-foundation/">policy update</a> and <a href="https://www.nashville.gov/sites/default/files/2024-04/NDOT-Complete_Streets_Implementation_Guide.pdf?ct=1713458758">implementation guide</a>, which scored second in SGA’s 2025 <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/signature-reports/best-complete-streets/">Best Complete Streets Policies Report</a>, a series of <a href="https://www.nashville.gov/departments/transportation/projects/complete-streets">trainings</a> on Complete Streets topics, and quick-build projects in <a href="https://www.nashville.gov/departments/transportation/projects/school-zones">school zones</a> and <a href="https://www.nashville.gov/departments/transportation/projects/high-injury-network">high-injury intersections</a>.
<figure id="attachment_106659" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-106659" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-106659" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TN-3-1024x576.png" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TN-3-1024x576.png 1024w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TN-3-300x169.png 300w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TN-3-768x432.png 768w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TN-3-1536x864.png 1536w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TN-3.png 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-106659" class="wp-caption-text">Complete Streets project at Nashville’s Madison Station Boulevard. Source: Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure.</figcaption></figure>
The quick-build action doesn’t stop there, as regional organizations have gotten involved as well. The Greater Nashville Regional Council (<a href="https://www.gnrc.org/">GNRC</a>) supports local communities across fourteen counties in central Tennessee with planning and program development, including transportation. GNRC received a 2024 USDOT <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/grants/ss4a/cumulative-awards">Safe Streets and Roads for All</a> planning and demonstration grant to conduct quick-build demonstration projects and develop a safety action plan for the region. The structure of the action plan and the lessons learned from the quick builds can be used by smaller jurisdictions in implementing their own safety improvements. Between GNRC, Nashville, Knoxville, and TDOT, Tennessee has many more quick builds to come!
[alert type=&#8221;info&#8221;] Learn more about the 2023 Complete Streets Leadership Academy quick-build projects <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/complete-streets-leadership-academies-report/">here</a> and the 2025 Best Complete Streets Policies <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/signature-reports/best-complete-streets/">here</a>. Stay tuned for updates on this year’s CSLA quick-build projects in <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-center/2025-complete-streets-leadership-academy-launches-in-kentucky-this-spring/">Kentucky</a>! [/alert]
Thanks to Anna Dearman from Nashville Department of Transportation &amp; Multimodal Infrastructure, Daniel McDonnell and Will Rogers III from Greater Nashville Regional Council, and Dr. Chris Cherry from University of Tennessee, Knoxville for their insights.
This publication was made possible by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (Cooperative Agreement CDC-RFA-PW-24-0080). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of CDC. These efforts are part of the CDC’s <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/active-people-healthy-nation/php/about/index.html">Active People, Healthy NationSM</a> Initiative that is working to help 27 million Americans become more physically active by 2027.

Chattanooga

Complete Streets Leadership Academies

CSLA

Knoxville

Tennessee

Tennessee’s quick-build demonstration projects have lasting impacts

Transportation

rasmus-gerdin-sweden-bike-lane-unsplash

The Complete Streets approach prioritizes infrastructure that serves all users, and a strong Complete Streets policy specifies that vulnerable community members, including people with disabilities, are equitably considered throughout planning, design, and implementation.
Regardless of how people move through or process the world around them, they should be able to do so with few or no barriers. This is the meaning of accessibility. There are a wide range of mobility, visual, and cognitive disabilities that impact individuals in different ways and in varying degrees. For example, a disability can be permanent or temporary, visible or invisible, mild or severe.
One way to ensure streets are accessible is by providing clear language in Complete Streets policies about including and considering people with disabilities throughout the planning, design, and implementation phases of transportation projects. Overall, a majority of this year’s Complete Streets policies mention accessibility and/or persons with disabilities in some way. However, it is not enough to simply mention them; A strong policy must ensure that inclusion is mandatory and that there is no room for neglect or loopholes. This year’s batch of policies could have been strengthened by not only prioritizing these road users, but including more specifics on which organizations should be consulted on projects, how the disability community will be engaged, the performance measures that will track progress, and which specific design guidelines are required when designing projects.
There are some key policy components that foster improved accessibility. The following elements are taken directly from our <a href="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Complete-Streets-Policy-Framework.pdf">Complete Streets Policy Framework</a> and exemplify different ways accessibility can be integrated in a policy.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Element #1: Establishes commitment and vision
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">People with disabilities should be explicitly identified as a priority group.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Element #2: Prioritizes underinvested and underserved communities
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Criteria related to disability (such as proportion of residents with disabilities) can be used in project selection. </li>
</ul>
</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Element #6: Adopts excellent design guidance
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Adopt Public Rights-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG) and other accessibility-focused materials to inform design choices. </li>
</ul>
</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Element #9: Sets criteria for choosing projects 
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Incentivize projects that improve accessibility. </li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
In the policies reviewed for this report, there were several good examples of how ensuring accessibility and Complete Streets go hand in hand. Noting that disability is an important area to focus on is a great place to start when strengthening a Complete Streets policy. Clyde, Ohio, for example, noted “people with limited mobility and physical challenges” as a group that should be prioritized. 
When creating a policy, it’s important to coordinate with relevant advocates and community members to make accessibility a priority at every step of the Complete Streets process. In San Antonio, the city’s Complete Streets Coalition is made up of a number of organizations, including <a href="https://www.disabilitysa.org/">disABILITYsa</a>, which participated in the policy drafting. The policy itself ensures consistent collaboration through a Disability Access Office representative on their Complete Streets task force and project prioritization which specifically includes strategies that resolve barriers to engagement associated with disability. 
There are many ways that accessibility can be integrated into a Complete Streets policy, with the above examples only scratching the surface. Disability is not a monolith, so accessibility should not be one either. In all cases, though, engagement with the disability community and advocates is crucial when drafting and implementing a Complete Streets policy.

Complete Streets are accessible streets 

CZS ZEST Cohort 2025

Smart Growth America, with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is proud to announce the inaugural cohort for our new national technical assistance program: Zoning for Equitable Solutions and Thriving Communities (ZEST). ZEST marks a pivotal step in our work to dismantle the structural inequities embedded in land-use policy. Through this program, we’re building a national network of community-based organizations focused on zoning reform for health equity, helping create healthy and prosperous communities across the country. 
Why focus on zoning reform to improve health equity? Health inequities didn’t appear out of thin air; they’re a <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/health-equity-and-the-built-environment/">direct result of zoning codes</a> that have dictated who gets to live where, who has access to healthy food, who has access to safe and affordable housing, and even a <a href="https://www.rwjf.org/en/insights/our-research/interactives/whereyouliveaffectshowlongyoulive.html">person’s life expectancy</a>. This is especially true for vulnerable groups like children, older adults, and communities of color. Because zoning codes are implemented at the local level, and many health inequities are a direct result of the restrictions that zoning places on communities, we believe community-based organizations are well-positioned to drive meaningful changes that can benefit their communities now.
To move the needle on health equity, we’re launching the ZEST technical assistance program, a national network of community-based organizations, and equipping them with the tools, knowledge, and technical support needed to drive zoning reform and create healthier, more prosperous communities. Many of these organizations are already leading the charge to improve health equity, we’re providing them with the zoning lens and tools to connect the dots and shift outcomes.
<h3>Program goals</h3>
ZEST empowers community-based organizations to tackle health inequities by providing education and capacity-building support to reform local land-use policies and strengthen community health. In addition to receiving education materials and conducting policy analysis, examples of the types of projects for this program include:
<ul>
<li>Expanding access to fresh, healthy food in underserved neighborhoods by supporting zoning changes that allow for local grocery stores, community gardens, and corner markets.</li>
<li>Developing a practical advocacy guide to help community members push for zoning policies that promote health, such as adopting “complete streets” policies and organizing events to showcase the benefits of walkable, bike-friendly spaces.</li>
<li>Working to change zoning laws so that everyone has access to affordable and suitable housing.</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/CZS-ZEST-Cohort-2025.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-106603" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/CZS-ZEST-Cohort-2025-1024x576.png" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/CZS-ZEST-Cohort-2025-1024x576.png 1024w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/CZS-ZEST-Cohort-2025-300x169.png 300w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/CZS-ZEST-Cohort-2025-768x432.png 768w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/CZS-ZEST-Cohort-2025-1536x864.png 1536w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/CZS-ZEST-Cohort-2025.png 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
<h3>The ZEST Technical Assistance Model</h3>
Recognizing that communities vary in readiness and capacity, we have organized the ZEST cohort into groups based on shared missions, focus areas, and zoning reform goals. 
The first cohort of seven organizations will receive in-depth technical support and strategic guidance to advance their active zoning reform and healthy equity efforts. The first cohort will receive tailored work plans, hands-on implementation support, and funding to attend our national convening on zoning and health equity dedicated to shared learning and collaboration. 
The list of organizations in the first cohort includes:
<ul>
<li>Elevated Chicago, Chicago, IL</li>
<li>Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia, Richmond, VA</li>
<li>Houston Land Bank, Houston, TX</li>
<li>IMPACT Community Action, Columbus, OH</li>
<li>Metropolitan United Methodist Church, Montgomery, AL</li>
<li>Partnership for Smarter Growth, Richmond, VA</li>
<li>Requity Foundation, Baltimore, MD</li>
</ul>
<div class="wp-block-spacer" style="height: 20px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div>
To round out the ZEST program, twelve additional organizations will receive lighter-touch technical assistance, resources, and support as they begin their journey into the zoning reform and health equity. The second cohort will benefit from educational tools tailored to groups new to the intersection of land use and health, along with virtual learning opportunities,  dedicated office hours, curated resources, and an invitation to the national convening. 
The list of organizations in the second cohort includes:
<ul>
<li>Blue Zones Project Jacksonville, Jacksonville, FL</li>
<li>Connections for the Homeless, Evanston, IL</li>
<li>Downwinders at Risk Education Fund, Dallas, TX</li>
<li>Freedom Org, Tarboro, NC</li>
<li>Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah (HEAL Utah), Salt Lake City, UT</li>
<li>Local Initiatives Support Corporation &#8211; Puget Sound, Puget Sound, WA</li>
<li>Organized Uplifting Resources &amp; Strategies, McCormick, South Carolina</li>
<li>SAJE, Los Angeles, CA</li>
<li>The Clean Air Coalition of WNY, Buffalo, NY</li>
<li>The Rooted East Knoxville Collective, Knoxville, TN</li>
<li>Verde, Portland, OR</li>
<li>Women’s Resource Center, Newport, RI</li>
</ul>
<div class="wp-block-spacer" style="height: 20px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div>
All participating organizations will be invited to a national convening in Baltimore, MD, to share lessons, build momentum, and strengthen the growing movement for equitable zoning.
Zoning is more than a land use issue—it’s a public health issue. By rewriting the rules that shape where we live, what we build, and who benefits, ZEST is working to address long-standing inequities and support communities to create healthier, more prosperous, and more resilient places for everyone.
This isn’t just about changing policies on paper. It’s about building a coordinated, community-led movement to dismantle exclusionary zoning and advance justice, equity, and well-being from the ground up.

Equity

health

Announcing the Zoning for Equitable Solutions and Thriving Communities (ZEST) TA cohort 

Zoning

New_MU_Development (2)

With generous support from the Gates Foundation, Smart Growth America (SGA) and the National Association of Counties (NACo) launched and completed the second cohort of the Counties for Housing Solutions (C4HS) initiative, continuing our commitment to helping counties spur economic development through actionable, locally-driven housing strategies.
Over the course of 13 weeks, a cohort of elected officials, planners, and stakeholders from eight counties—Baltimore City/County, MD, and Grafton County. NH, Cheshire County, NH, Chesterfield County, NH, Sullivan County, VA, Genesee County, MI, Honolulu City/County, HI, Mecklenburg County, NC, and Pierce County, WA—collaborated to create implementable affordable housing development plans in their communities.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-106592" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Counties-for-Housing-Solutions-1024x576.png" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Counties-for-Housing-Solutions-1024x576.png 1024w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Counties-for-Housing-Solutions-300x169.png 300w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Counties-for-Housing-Solutions-768x432.png 768w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Counties-for-Housing-Solutions-1536x864.png 1536w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Counties-for-Housing-Solutions.png 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
Housing affordability is an issue that is top of mind for most Americans. In recent months, solutions that can lower housing costs and increase the supply of permanently affordable housing stock<a href="https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/permanently-affordable-housing-has-support-both-republican-and-democratic-voters"> have received bipartisan support.</a> As local governments look to drive economic mobility in their communities, housing production offers a means to make progress for residents and local fiscal objectives. Housing construction has a positive ripple effect in communities—it <a href="https://www.nar.realtor/sites/default/files/documents/Housing-is-Critical-Infrastructure-Social-and-Economic-Benefits-of-Building-More-Housing-6-15-2021.pdf">creates new employment opportunities, provides new tax revenue for local governments, and increases consumer spending in local businesses.</a>
Through a mix of expert-led sessions, peer exchange, and hands-on technical support in both pre-development and development stages, cohort members explored how to repurpose vacant or underutilized county-owned land to meet urgent housing needs while also unlocking economic development wins. 
Sprint #2 provided a blend of educational sessions, one-on-one office hours, and collaborative peer learning opportunities. To walk teams through the housing development process, the program touched upon the following topics:
<ul>
<li>Finding your land: Selecting the perfect site for housing development.</li>
<li>Development barriers: Determining if zoning is preventing your community from developing housing and how to eliminate zoning barriers.</li>
<li>Building support: Understanding the importance of creating a community engagement strategy to overcome potential opposition to sorely needed housing for all. 
</li>
<li>Funding and resources: Paying for affordable housing projects without mortgaging the future of their community. 
</li>
<li>Finding the right partners: Finding and selecting the right developer for the right housing project on county-owned land. 
</li>
<li>Measuring results: Evaluating project results to ensure success. 
</li>
<li>Make a lasting impact: Scaling and leveraging a development project to gain a return on investment.</li>
</ul>
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With support from subject matter experts and cross-collaboration opportunities, the cohort developed a variety of mixed-use developments and housing typologies while also addressing significant social and economic barriers presented in their respective county (aging in place, affordability, and vacancy, to name a few). Additionally, all teams focused on developing affordable housing on county-owned land, leveraging cost savings from land acquisition to enhance unit affordability. Each project also emphasized the importance of integrating community into the development process—honoring local history and identity—while positioning housing as a catalyst for broader economic development. At the conclusion of the program, each county emerged with a tailored, ready-to-implement affordable housing strategy designed to reflect their community’s unique needs and opportunities. Below is a recap of each county’s initiative: 
<ul>
<li>Baltimore City/County, MD: This team identified a site in a food and health desert located 5 miles from Johns Hopkins University. They proposed a redevelopment of the site into a mixed-income, mixed-use project focused on luxury, affordable, and market-rate housing with retail and community amenities on the ground floor. Units will be available at the 30-80 percent AMI income ranges.</li>
<li>New Hampshire Coalition of Counties: A group of three neighboring counties facing similar challenges joined forces as a coalition to participate in the cohort together. Their goal was to leverage shared experiences to support one another in actively advancing affordable housing across the region.</li>
<li>Grafton County: Drafted a plan to develop tiny houses across 10 acres, with a focus on workforce housing as a recruitment tool.</li>
<li>Sullivan County: Drafted a plan to develop a mix of tiny houses and single-family homes across five acres.</li>
<li>Chesterfield County, VA: Their project centered on rezoning a parcel of land to enable both affordability and the development of desired housing types (multifamily, affordable, and diverse housing typologies). The plan includes constructing 25–30 single-family detached homes arranged around a central multifamily building. Several of the single-family homes are designated as LIHTC-funded units specifically for seniors.</li>
<li>Genesee County, MI: This team focused on deploying 56 single-family units on a 16-acre site.</li>
<li>Honolulu County, HI: This team developed a plan to develop three residential high-rise towers with up to 522 units on a parcel located downtown in a transit-oriented development district</li>
<li>Mecklenburg County, NC: This project was about repurposing a historic school property into a mixed-income project of up to 80 Affordable townhome units at 60-80 percent AMI while honoring the historic nature of the project. There is potential to include senior condos and community amenities such as a community center as part of the project.</li>
<li>Pierce County, WA: This team drafted a plan to develop up to 28 affordable homeownership units on a four-acre site.</li>
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If fully realized, these projects will result in the development of hundreds of housing units—spanning a range of income levels and housing types—successfully deployed across the country with support from the program.
[alert type=&#8221;info&#8221;] Applications for our Fall 2025 Counties for Housing Solutions initiative are now open! Applications are due by Friday, August 1, 11:59 p.m. ET. Apply <a href="https://naco.sharefile.com/d-s8da51200b379464e86adce94c7d0411b">here</a>. [/alert]

Housing Affordability

Housing and Development

Unlocking economic development in counties across America

Economic development

Land Use and Development

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Communities across the U.S. are facing unprecedented challenges to meet the mobility, housing, and social needs of their residents, often struggling to do so with limited funding, staffing, and government support. Local elected officials serve not only to help navigate these challenges but to champion their community’s vision of a more healthy, prosperous, and resilient future. Smart Growth America works with these champions to find solutions to communities’ most pressing needs.
Smart Growth America recently wrapped up its <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/celebrating-the-2025-complete-streets-champions-institute-cohort/">2025 Champions Institute</a>. For over three months, I had the privilege to work with 14 local elected officials to develop their skills and knowledge around Complete Streets. These individuals, each busy with the responsibilities of their office—and for many, day jobs as well—showed up to actively participate in virtual sessions by sharing their experiences, cheering on their peers, and being open to learning from national experts on new strategies to implement in their communities. One thing quickly became clear to me—as communities face increasingly compounding challenges in transportation, housing, civic and social engagement, and more, these local elected officials are serving as stalwart champions for the overall future of the places they call home and the neighbors they represent.  
<h3>Now is the time to step up</h3>
Mayors, city council members, and other elected officials can leave their mark on a community in a myriad of ways. From the policies they enact to the projects they fund, these individuals bear a huge responsibility in determining their communities future. But they also have the ability to shape the places they lead in less tangible ways. They often serve as ambassadors of their community to state and federal government, provide encouragement and guidance to city staff, and act as important allies to advocates on a wide range of issues.  As chaos and uncertainty reigns over funding, policies, and priorities at the federal level, these local leaders can offer some level of continuity and provide steadfast direction for local efforts. 
<h3>Complete Streets need local leadership</h3>
Like so many issues facing communities, Complete Streets and transportation need strong, local leadership. There are a variety of ways we see elected officials standing with and standing for safer, more accessible, and more enjoyable ways to travel through their communities:
-Highlighting necessary changes and bringing swift action. Elected officials can lend their voice and their position to the lived experience of those they represent. This can look like taking part in <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/improving-transportation-and-road-safety-for-all-in-monroe-la/">walk audits</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/06/nyregion/bike-bus-cycling.html">joining bike buses,</a> or <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-center/week-without-driving-has-arrived-heres-why-it-matters/">regularly using non-motorized transportation for their own daily lives</a>. Armed with these firsthand experiences and community connections, they can call for and implement the changes that need to happen to make sure people walking, biking, and taking transit have the systems they need to make it safe and convenient.
-Challenging outdated norms at the state and federal level. State and federal policies can at times be in conflict with strategies a community knows are needed. Local elected officials can work with state legislative partners to push back on <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/roadblocks-to-safety-how-state-preemption-puts-pedestrians-at-risk/">unnecessary preemption</a> or find opportunities to collaborate on joint projects. Showing up in Washington, DC to share their experiences can unlock important policy or funding decisions.
-Finding opportunities for progress. It’s easy to keep doing things the way they have always been done. A local elected official can be a catalyst for doing things differently, whether it’s signing a <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/nashville-tn-building-on-the-foundation/">strong Complete Streets policy</a> or challenging existing practices around quick-build demonstrations. That momentum and energy gives a boost to advocates and city staff who might otherwise feel on their own.
<h3>Recognizing and supporting local champions</h3>
Local leaders are in a position to see the real-life consequences of outdated transportation systems—which means they can be the first to act. As pedestrian fatalities rise and communities across the country call for safer, healthier ways to get around, the role of local government in driving transportation reform has never been more critical. Smart Growth America is proud to stand with these changemakers, offering tools, training, and a national network of support. In a challenging political climate, the path forward demands courage, collaboration, and persistence—and that’s exactly what we see in communities leading the way. There’s not just an opportunity to keep advancing this work—there’s an urgent need to do so.
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Local champions are what drives the change we need in our communities

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What began as a pilot project on a busy corridor in Boca Raton has grown into a citywide commitment to Complete Streets, led by community advocates and championed by Vice Mayor Fran Nachlas. With a strong policy framework, visible early wins, and a focus on data, Boca Raton is showing what it looks like when a city decides to design their streets for people first.
<h3>Background</h3>
Located on Florida’s southeast coast, Boca Raton is home to around 100,000 residents and is known for its sunny beaches and palm-lined streets. As Boca Raton grew over the decades, wide arterials, sprawling development, and narrow sidewalks were the norm. The end result is streets prioritized for vehicles, with little accommodation for non-drivers, increasing safety concerns for all road users.
This design has taken a toll. <a href="https://hdp-us-prod-app-kh-spp-files.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/8317/2979/7327/24-10-24_public_kickoff_meeting_presentation.pdf">Boca Raton’s rate of serious injury and fatal crashes</a> are 13 percent higher than the state average and 53 percent higher than Palm Beach County’s. More than 87 percent of the most severe crashes happened on fast-moving arterial roads. In 2021, pedestrians and bicyclists accounted for <a href="https://www.makeroadssafe.org/boca-raton-road-safety-overview/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">14 percent of all traffic fatalities.</a> These numbers told a story—roads in Boca Raton aren’t safe, especially for those outside of cars.
The community wanted to change that narrative. In 2020, city staff and elected officials started exploring Complete Streets to help them prioritize safe, convenient transportation for all people, regardless of how they get around. After years of planning and surveys, the city council unanimously <a href="https://www.myboca.us/2435/Complete-Streets#:~:text=Complete%20Streets%20is%20a%20universal,of%20all%20ages%20and%20abilities.">adopted a Complete Streets policy</a> in November 2023, establishing a commitment to road design that puts safety first. 
<h3>A leader in action</h3>
This effort was championed in part by Vice-Mayor Fran Nachlas, long-time Boca Raton resident and recent Smart Growth America Complete Streets Champion Institute participant. As a nurse and athlete, Nachlas is especially committed to making life safer and healthier for members of her community, and has been a critical advocate for safer streets. Vice Mayor Nachlas works to inspire Complete Streets change locally as a Transportation Planning Agency Representative on the Boca Raton City Council and on a county level as a member of the Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency’s (TPA) board. 
Nachas appreciates the need to experience streets the way residents of Boca Raton do. Nachlas recently biked the entire 84-mile city bike map network to deepen her understanding of the safety issues Boca Raton is facing and bring light to gaps, barriers, and opportunities for improvement. Similar to walk audits, these bike rides gave Nachlas firsthand experience that not only deepened her appreciation for the  lived experience of her community, but inspired ways to make a change. 
<h3>The Champions Institute</h3>
Through her role on city council, Nachlas spearheaded the development of Boca Raton’s 2023 Complete Streets policy. Since then, Boca Raton has received a number of grants can be used to implement safe and Complete Streets. Nachlas seized the opportunity to further advance her efforts towards building a safer, healthier community for Boca Raton residents, landing her a spot in the most recent <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-center/meet-the-2025-champions-institute-cohort/">Smart Growth America Champions Institute</a>, a program that supports elected officials who want to adopt and implement Complete Streets.
Through the program, she has planned a project that will focus on engaging community members. The project will feature a citywide event with the goal of providing education while gathering community perspectives. Specifically, the event will aim to increase public awareness of bike and scooter rules, identify potential locations for quick-build safety projects, and begin building a coalition that includes city staff, Florida Department of Transportation officials, bike advocates, schools, and neighborhood groups. She also collaborated with her colleagues on the TPA to pass a <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/active-people-healthy-nation/php/about/index.html">CDC Active People, Healthy Nation Proclamation</a>, signifying a strong commitment to promoting health and connectivity by creating communities where people can safely and easily walk, bike, and use other forms of active transportation.
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“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. I&#8217;m honored to play a vital role in supporting these goals, identifying the local needs of our community, and advancing policies to build activity-friendly routes to everyday destinations in my city.” Vice Mayor Fran Nachlas | Boca Raton, FL
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In April 2025, Vice Mayor Nachlas announced that she would be running for Mayor of Boca Raton in their upcoming 2026 election. Nachlas has said that if elected, she wants to use creative yet practical strategies like Complete Streets to bring her community visible, tangible benefits. 
<h3>A positive path forward</h3>
Boca Raton’s Complete Streets policy provides a foundation that will allow the city to continue fostering improved community engagement, increased project implementation, and opportunities to address outdated practices to further increase access to walking, biking, and other forms of active transportation. Their Complete Streets policy also includes specific language that requires assessment and evaluation of potential walking, biking, and transit improvements every time a road is resurfaced, reconstructed, or newly built. To strengthen their ability to implement Complete Streets, staff are working on a bicycle and pedestrian master plan and a new scoring tool to help them prioritize what projects are needed and where—with special consideration for historically underserved neighborhoods that have been most impacted by the unsafe infrastructure.
Boca Raton has already seen tangible change inspired by the vision established in the US-1 project proposal and the Complete Streets policy. The city has installed 1,400 new lighting fixtures in and around downtown, added a new crosswalk to El Rio Trail, as well as pedestrian crossings to Palmetto Park. These projects are small steps, but they are evidence of the bigger picture: Boca Raton is prioritizing the creation of spaces that serve everyone.
Like many communities, Boca Raton still faces challenges. Staff capacity, funding constraints, and the need to balance redevelopment priorities will all shape the city’s ability to implement its Complete Streets vision. But with a strong policy in place and local leadership exemplified by Vice-Mayor Nachlas, Boca Raton has an opportunity to become a safer, healthier place for all.

Champions Institute

Designing streets for people in Boca Raton, Florida

Over the course of its 25 years, the National Complete Streets Coalition has continued to evolve to meet the needs of the ever-growing movement. This has resulted in new resources, new sectors engaged, new topics tackled, and even <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/introducing-brand-new-grading-framework-complete-streets-policies/">changes to our own policy framework in 2018</a>. Through all of it, our commitment to the adoption and implementation of a Complete Streets approach has never wavered. As leaders of the Complete Streets movement, it’s important to be clear about what counts as Complete Streets and what fails to live up to that title. 
Smart Growth America’s<a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/signature-reports/best-complete-streets/"> Best Complete Streets Policies 2025 report </a>celebrates the communities taking bold, thoughtful steps to make streets safer and more welcoming for all users—no matter their age, income, ability, or mode of transportation. This bi-annual report scores newly adopted Complete Streets policies from 2023 and 2024 using the National Complete Streets Coalition’s 100-point framework. In addition to identifying top-scoring policies, the report also lifts up community stories—from large cities to small towns—that demonstrate how strong collaboration, public health priorities, and continual improvement can result in meaningful policy change. Here’s a sneak peek at what we have in the works for the next Best Complete Streets Policies report and how we’re going to be increasingly vocal about what is—and isn’t—Complete Streets. 
<h3>Scoring Complete Streets policies need to reflect the growth of the Complete Streets movement </h3>
When the policy framework <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/a-decade-into-the-movement-complete-streets-needed-a-complete-overhaul/">was revised in 2018</a>, an increased emphasis was put on implementation, equity, and community engagement. These were areas that the National Complete Streets Coalition recognized as essential to the success of Complete Streets but that were not adequately reflected in the previous framework. As communities continue to face new and persistent challenges in transportation and intersecting issues, strong Complete Streets policies need to meet the moment to provide accountability, implementation, and measurable progress. The National Complete Streets Coalition will shortly kick off a process to critically examine the current framework and identify ways to strengthen its standards even further. 
<h3>A Complete Streets policy is the first step</h3>
Complete Streets is not an individual policy or project, but a change in the approach to transportation. Even the strongest Complete Streets policies won’t achieve their goals if they are not met with the funding, staff, and time to change processes and redesign streets. You don’t get to claim to have a Complete Streets policy if you’re not willing to do the work on Complete Streets. Admittedly, the National Complete Streets Coalition does not have the resources to track every single one of the 1,800 policies in its <a href="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/atlasmap.png">atlas</a>. The National Complete Streets Coalition will also begin the development of a framework to score Complete Streets implementation so community members and policymakers can do just that.
<figure id="attachment_106335" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-106335" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-106335 size-large" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/DSC06356-1024x732.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="732" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/DSC06356-1024x732.jpg 1024w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/DSC06356-300x214.jpg 300w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/DSC06356-768x549.jpg 768w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/DSC06356-1536x1097.jpg 1536w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/DSC06356-2048x1463.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-106335" class="wp-caption-text">Officials in Howard County, Maryland (the strongest Complete Streets policy in our <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/howard-county-md-a-collaborative-effort-to-create-complete-streets/">2023 report</a>) inspect a quick-build demonstration project.</figcaption></figure>
<h3>Not all policies deserve to carry the name of Complete Streets</h3>
Over the years, there have been policies that have barely made it on the board in terms of the number of points awarded. This can happen for a variety of reasons, including a lack of knowledge of Complete Streets, failing to find a strong champion, caving to political pressures, or trying to check a box to be eligible for funding or preference.  Regardless, our <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/resources/elements-complete-streets-policy/">policy scoring framework</a> exists for a reason. Each element is critical to creating a policy that will lead to the changes needed to create communities where everyone can be safe and healthy. Policies that don’t meet the bare minimum of these elements don’t deserve the title “Complete Streets.” Beginning with the next report, Smart Growth America will only list policies that score above 60 points and investigate why state policies—which could potentially have a huge impact on some of our most dangerous roadways—consistently score low. 
Twenty-five years ago, we set out to define the meaning of Complete Streets. Over the years, we have seen countless real-world examples of what the Complete Streets approach looks like and what it doesn’t. It’s not watered-down policies that lead to zero change on the ground. It’s not a haphazard selection of projects or projects that tack on biking and walking as an afterthought. It’s not those places that put themselves on the back and consider the work done, as outdated legislation fails ever-changing communities. A true Complete Streets approach means doing the hard work, right now, to adopt new policies, implement new processes, track their progress, and, most importantly, find every opportunity available to change the design of our streets. 
As the National Complete Streets Coalition, we are committed to continuing to evolve our standards so Complete Streets policies can meet the needs of American communities based on real-world conditions and issues they are facing. Our goals are more and stronger policies that lead to better outcomes for everyone.

The best is yet to come: Evolving Complete Streets framework to meet the moment

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On Thursday, June 26th, LOCUS and Smart Growth America hosted the second webinar in the “Building the Stack” series. This series of conversations with real estate developers and community partners focuses on demystifying how to finance and build high interest projects. This recent webinar focused on approaches to building small scale and missing middle housing and featured four speakers from across the country.
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From missing starter homes for young families to a dearth of homes available for seniors hoping to downsize but stay in their communities, the impacts of so-called “missing middle housing” are being felt throughout the country. The Building the Stack series is designed to dig into the challenges with developing key project types, like missing middle, by allowing attendees to explore real case studies with a variety of stakeholders who are developing the projects, providing the financing, or steering development in their communities. This webinar featured four experts who are leading the way in infill development, sustainable housing, and community-based planning solutions in their respective communities. Jim Heid, Founder of UrbanGreen and CRAFT DnA, defined missing middle housing, spoke to the challenges developing at a small scale, and talked through the innovative and flexible approach that was needed to get one dense, missing middle style project completed. Shannon Morgan, President and Co-Founder of Renovare Development and a missing middle housing developer from Michigan, highlighted specific high-impact projects in Michigan and how they were financed while Greg Minott, Managing Principal at DREAM Collaborative, spoke to examples in the Boston area. Jennifer Settle, Senior Associate at Opticos Design, rounded out the conversation with a discussion of the barriers to missing middle housing, including zoning, a development ecosystem less used to creating these types of units, and community opposition.
<h3>Key takeaways</h3>
Throughout the webinar, a number of key takeaways emerged:
1. Missing middle and small scale projects require creativity to complete. Jim Heid discussed a project where a creative approach to parking requirements allowed for an innovative design that ultimately brought development costs down. Shannon Morgan discussed intricate capital stacks that included new funding sources from the State of Michigan explicitly intended to support missing middle housing.
2. Missing middle and small scale projects require collaboration to complete. Multiple speakers noted the need for local government officials to think of themselves, and act as, collaborators on projects. Greg Minott described a 74 unit mixed income project in the Boston area that was made possible by a partnership with the city where the property was provided for only $1. Shannon Morgan noted a major project that was developed on a public parcel and another project that was anchored by a collaboration with a local Habitat for Humanity branch.
3. Examples and model projects exist across the country in communities of all sizes. Speakers highlighted missing middle projects from across the country, including in Ypsilanti, Michigan, Roxbury, Massachusetts, and Healdsburg, California.  
4. The rules of play—zoning, code, etc.—directly shape what is built in a given community and they can be altered to better support the development of missing middle and small scale projects. 
<h3>Don’t miss the next installment!</h3>
On Thursday, July 24th, join us for a conversation on innovative approaches to housing development. Alternative approaches in financing or project development can be slow to move from one community to another. This conversation will feature leaders championing new models for funding and constructing smart growth-aligned housing types such as co-ops and affordable housing.
[button type=&#8221;info&#8221; block=&#8221;true&#8221; size=&#8221;lg&#8221; link=&#8221;https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Xwi-kvzQTzueWUkE293K0g&#8221;]Learn more and register here! [/button]
<h3>Consider joining LOCUS</h3>
Are you a purpose-driven developer or investor? Consider joining Smart Growth America’s <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/programs-and-coalitions/locus/">LOCUS coalition</a>! 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. Take advantage of a 20 percent off discount on membership through the summer and learn more about joining LOCUS <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/programs-and-coalitions/locus/join-locus/">here</a>!

Building the stack: Approaches to building small scale and Missing Middle housing webinar recap

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On Thursday, June 5th, LOCUS and Smart Growth America kicked off the “Building the Stack” webinar series, a series of conversations with real estate developers and community partners focused on demystifying how to finance and build high interest projects, with the first webinar on utilizing the federal Opportunity Zone tax incentive to build housing.
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The Building the Stack series is designed to dig into the challenges with developing key project types, explore real case studies, and hear from a variety of stakeholders about their experience developing and financing these projects. With Congress poised to extend the federal Opportunity Zone (OZ) tax incentive, it is an important time for developers and communities to revisit successful uses of the OZ tool in its first iteration from across the country. Attendees heard from Natalie Mason of Capital Square, a developer behind several successful OZ-driven residential projects, Mayor Sharetta Smith of Lima, OH, who built a unique public-private partnership to bring OZ investment to her community, and Robin Schabes, a community development leader working to educate and connect stakeholders to drive OZ investment in Chicago.
<h3>Key takeaways</h3>
Each speaker highlighted the work taking place in the communities they operate in but across the discussion, a few key takeaways emerged:
1. The Opportunity Zone incentive has been a significant community development tool that has brought new investors into community development. Natalie Mason spoke to why the tool works for investors and how it helps fill gaps in project funding, particularly for multifamily residential deals.
2. Rural Opportunity Zones faced structural barriers to OZ investment, including a thinner developer pool, a capital preference for more urban geographies, and community concerns about transparency. Mayor Sharetta Smith spoke to the way that local government actors can help de-risk and spur OZ investment in their communities by seeding the first dollars for projects, doing intentional preparation for OZ investment, and leaning into partnerships with local institutions to support projects.
3. The Opportunity Zone incentive can, and has, delivered high-impact community serving projects. Robin Schabes highlighted impact-focused projects in the greater Chicago area, including the Hope Manor Village project which repurposed vacant lots into supportive housing and married OZ funding with the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit.
4. An extension of the Opportunity Zone incentive is included in the tax bill under consideration in Congress. While the precise details of the extension are not yet solidified, the webinar discussed the parameters of the program as was being discussed at the time. <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/subscribe/">Sign up for the LOCUS newsletter</a> to stay tuned for more updates on the extension as they become available.
<h3>Don’t miss the next installment!</h3>
On Thursday, July 24th, join us for a conversation on innovative approaches to housing development. Alternative approaches in financing or project development can be slow to move from one community to another. This conversation will feature leaders championing new models for funding and constructing smart growth-aligned housing types such as co-ops and affordable housing.
[button type=&#8221;info&#8221; block=&#8221;true&#8221; size=&#8221;lg&#8221; link=&#8221;https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Xwi-kvzQTzueWUkE293K0g?eType=EmailBlastContent&amp;eId=df150c33-1367-4827-a34b-a0628ed585cf#/registration&#8221;]Learn more and register here! [/button]
<h3>Consider joining LOCUS</h3>
Are you a purpose-driven developer or investor? Consider joining Smart Growth America’s <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/programs-and-coalitions/locus/">LOCUS coalition</a>! 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. Take advantage of a 20 percent off discount on membership through the summer and learn more about joining LOCUS <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/programs-and-coalitions/locus/join-locus/">here</a>!

Opportunity Zones

Webinars

Building the stack: Opportunity Zones for residential development webinar recap

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Smart Growth America’s Champions Institute successfully finished its 2025 cohort in June. Together, we worked with local elected officials from 10 states to build knowledge and skills around Complete Streets, downtown revitalization, and other local initiatives that create places where families can be active together and live healthier lives. Demonstrating leadership and a commitment to creating change, these champions will now work to deploy local action plans developed as part of the program. 
Smart Growth America (SGA) selected 14 local officials from across 10 states to participate in the <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/meet-the-2025-champions-institute-cohort/">2025 Champions Institute</a>. They included mayors, city council members, and county board members. Major cities like Nashville, TN as well as smaller communities such as Lake City, SC were represented, signifying the fact that Complete Streets can be adopted in places of any size or background. This program, supported by CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, aims to build capacity among local elected officials who are looking to adopt and implement a Complete Streets approach.
Participants took part in a series of virtual sessions to build capacity and increase skills around areas necessary to adopt and implement Complete Streets. These included expert presentations on topics such as policy, design, and zoning and opportunities to get their hands dirty with activities on messaging and community engagement. Happening in parallel to the virtual sessions, each participant received the opportunity to work with a member of SGA staff on developing an action plan to create a strategy to improve community design back home.
<h2>Creating action for change</h2>
One of the cornerstones of the Champions Institute is the action plan created by each participant throughout the program. This action plan aims to be a roadmap for how local elected officials can begin implementing strategies they learned in the virtual sessions to address a known challenge in their own community. In the past, Champions Institute participants have adopted policies, implemented street design changes, hosted community workshops, and more.
<h4>Policy drafting and improvements</h4>
A number of the 2025 participants identified policy changes that were needed for their communities to lead to improved implementation of Complete Streets. This includes Complete Streets policy updates in Rochester, MN and incorporating Complete Streets elements into an already in-progress update to a comprehensive plan in Leon County, FL. Some places will be using what they learned in the program to draft a completely new policy such as in Clarksville, TN.
<h4>Changes to Support Biking and Walking</h4>
Several communities will see changes to their streets as a result of the Champions Institute. A project already underway in Clarksville, TN will incorporate more Complete Streets elements to focus on meeting the transportation needs of a growing population. Princeton, NJ could see an expansion of its advisory bike lanes combined with education efforts to improve their use by drivers and bikers alike.
<h4>Engagement and education</h4>
One of the major themes that came from this cohort was the need to communicate the benefits and possibilities of Complete Streets among their colleagues and throughout their communities. Whether it&#8217;s communicating about projects being installed in Lexington, KY or advancing the narrative around biking in Nashville, TN, the 2025 Champions recognized that getting more community members engaged and on board in Complete Streets will only make their efforts more successful. Several participants, including Shawnee, KS, recognized that to do so would mean establishing working coalitions around the topics discussed in the program.
<h2>Inspiring leadership</h2>
Throughout this year’s Champions Institute, participants continuously demonstrated leadership not only around creating safer places to walk, bike, and be physically active, but in their overall vision for their communities. They came together regularly despite busy schedules to share challenges, offer insights and encouragement to their peers, and were willing to consider different perspectives to improve the hard work they do every day. Local leaders such as those that participated in the Champions Institute are critical to creating and maintaining communities that support all members now and in the future, and we look forward to seeing how their creative and tenacious efforts translate into creating safer, healthier communities for all.
The 2025 Champions Institute was made possible by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (Cooperative Agreement CDC-RFA-PW-24-0080). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of CDC. These efforts are part of the CDC’s Active People, Healthy NationSM Initiative that is working to help 27 million Americans become more physically active by 2027.

2025 Champions Institute

Celebrating the 2025 Complete Streets Champions Institute cohort

Screenshot 2025-07-02 at 11.47.59 AM

Massachusetts is advancing bold housing reform—but real progress depends on local action. Our <a href="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/MATA-Comms-Report_2025_July2025.pdf">new report</a> highlights how community-based advocacy, supported through Smart Growth America’s equitable development technical assistance program, is helping turn state policy into on-the-ground housing solutions.
Massachusetts is facing a critical housing shortage, with a need for over 200,000 new homes to meet demand. The state has taken bold steps to address this challenge through landmark legislation such as the <a href="https://www.mass.gov/info-details/multi-family-zoning-requirement-for-mbta-communities">MBTA Communities Law</a> and the <a href="https://www.mass.gov/info-details/the-affordable-homes-act-smart-housing-livable-communities">Affordable Homes Act.</a> Because Massachusetts is a <a href="https://www.mass.gov/doc/home-rule/download">Home Rule</a> state, the effectiveness of state housing reforms hinges in part on local governments adopting compliant policies. Therefore, turning these ambitious reforms into real, equitable housing opportunities depends on action at the local level.
By partnering with community-based organizations deeply rooted in their neighborhoods, our Massachusetts Equitable Development Technical Assistance (MA TA) helps translate statewide housing reforms into meaningful change on the ground.
<h2>Why local advocacy matters</h2>
While state leadership provides vital direction and funding, the complex work of updating zoning codes, influencing local planning, and mobilizing community support falls to local advocates. Community-based organizations (CBOs) bring essential knowledge, trust, and relationships, especially among historically excluded populations, to this challenging process.
Since 2022, SGA’s MA TA program has resulted in four partnerships with outstanding organizations across Massachusetts, each working in unique contexts but united by a shared commitment to equitable housing. These trusted local groups bring deep community knowledge, especially in neighborhoods historically excluded from planning processes, and are essential in building support for zoning reform, influencing local decisions, and educating residents.
<a href="https://culturehouse.cc/">CultureHouse</a>: Based in a dense, transit-rich city near Boston, CultureHouse transforms vacant spaces into vibrant neighborhood hubs through creative, community-centered design. With Smart Growth America’s support, CultureHouse enhanced its engagement approach by integrating zoning and land use education, developing accessible materials on housing topics, and refining its community feedback process. These efforts help connect their placemaking work with affordable housing and equitable development goals, empowering residents to participate in shaping their neighborhoods’ futures.
<a href="https://www.westsidelegends.org/">Westside Legends</a>: Founded by two lifelong residents, Westside Legends began as a grassroots initiative focused on homeownership education, community gardens, and local connection in a neighborhood long impacted by systemic disinvestment. Over time, and with technical assistance from SGA, the organization has grown into an emerging affordable housing developer, advancing sustainable, community-driven investment. Their work includes building trust with city officials, developing strategic plans, and exploring innovative funding and sustainable building practices, all aimed at creating lasting wealth and stability for BIPOC residents.
<a href="https://www.lowellalliance.org/">Lowell Alliance</a>: Serving a predominantly immigrant and ethnically diverse community, Lowell Alliance is a relative newcomer to housing and zoning advocacy. Just before partnering with SGA, they engaged hundreds of residents in a grassroots housing campaign that surfaced urgent local challenges such as high rents and overcrowding. With SGA’s support, Lowell Alliance has deepened its understanding of complex housing policies, developed advocacy tools and accessible communications, and built the capacity to influence local housing reforms. This growing platform ensures that the voices of Lowell’s most vulnerable residents help shape the city’s housing future.
<a href="https://www.ywcanewburyport.org/housing-choice-coalition/">Greater Newburyport Housing Choice Coalition</a>: Operating across multiple municipalities near the New Hampshire border, the Greater Newburyport Housing Choice Coalition (GNHCC) coordinates regional efforts to promote inclusive housing policies in a generally higher-income area. Leveraging its broad perspective, GNHCC works to align local zoning with statewide housing mandates and expand multifamily housing opportunities. With SGA’s help in identifying zoning barriers and tailoring recommendations, the coalition maintains a sustained and focused push for housing reform, balancing top-down leadership with grassroots engagement.
<h2>Lessons learned and looking ahead</h2>
Through this work, four key lessons have emerged:
<ul>
<li>Strong state leadership sets a foundation, but local engagement drives implementation.</li>
<li>Smart growth principles can and should be embedded across systems and sectors.</li>
<li>Creative, accessible communications are essential to connect complex housing issues to everyday residents.</li>
<li>Supporting trusted community leaders is key to ensuring that ambitious policies translate into equitable, on-the-ground change.</li>
</ul>
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Together, Smart Growth America and its partners in Massachusetts are building a future where housing is accessible, inclusive, and connected to the places people call home. As the state continues to lead with bold housing policy, it is these local advocates, empowered with knowledge, tools, and trusted relationships, who will bring that vision to life.
[button type=&#8221;info&#8221; block=&#8221;true&#8221; size=&#8221;lg&#8221; link=&#8221;https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/MATA-Comms-Report_2025_July2025.pdf&#8221;]Read the full report for more on our work together! [/button]

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Bridging policy and community: How Smart Growth America’s Massachusetts Technical Assistance Program is empowering local housing advocacy

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