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Key principles

Smart growth is an approach to community design that connects housing, transportation, and land use to create healthy, prosperous, and resilient neighborhoods.

What is smart growth?

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Smart growth in action

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The smart growth movement creates communities that are prosperous, resilient, and well-connected to essential destinations no matter how you choose to get around.

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Smart growth is an approach to building neighborhoods that provides people with different types of housing at affordable levels, ways to get where they need to go both in and out of a car, and puts the things they need close to where they live.

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A smart growth approach utilizes five key principles:

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Locate the things people need (jobs, groceries, schools, etc) close to where they live.

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Build a safe transportation system that connects people to jobs and other needs, whether they drive, take transit, walk, or bike.

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Make sure people can afford to live in smart growth communities at all stages of life.

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Give people a say in what is built in their own neighborhoods.

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Focus development in existing communities with a strong sense of place.

Learn more about Smart Growth America

Learn more about Smart Growth America

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Become an advocate

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Connect with like-minded advocates, leaders, or professionals nationwide.

Are you passionate about smart growth?

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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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Throughout the year, we host a number of in-person and virtual events covering topics related to public health, social equity, and climate resilience.
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Smart growth is an approach to community design that connects housing, transportation, and land use to create healthy, prosperous, and resilient neighborhoods.
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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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Airway Heights, WA is a city shaped by fast-moving traffic and car-centric design—but it&#8217;s also one of many communities pushing back against streets that prioritize speed over safety. With recent pedestrian fatalities underscoring the stakes, the city is taking steps to make its roads safer and more equitable for everyone who uses them.
<figure id="attachment_87820" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-87820" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-87820 size-large" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/airway-cover-1024x735.jpg" alt=" width="1024" height="735" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-87820" class="wp-caption-text">Aerial view of U.S. Route 2 in Airway Heights, WA (2020, <a href="https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/apr/05/getting-there-airway-heights-could-finally-get-a-d/">The Spokesman-Review</a>)</figcaption></figure>
<h4>Background</h4>
Airway Heights, WA—a young city just west of Spokane and bisected by U.S. Route 2—has long been shaped by car-centric infrastructure. With high-speed traffic, freight movement, and one of the region’s largest racetracks, the city’s design has historically prioritized speed over safety. But that’s beginning to change. In recent years, community leaders and residents have been working to make the city safer and more accessible for all. The urgency is clear: between July and December 2024 alone, three pedestrians were killed on Route 2, highlighting just how dangerous the current design can be.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-87821" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/airway-1-300x224.png" alt=" width="407" height="304" />  <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-87819" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/airway-2-283x300.jpg" alt=" width="283" height="300" />
Photos from the <a href="https://sga-vpb-frontend.vercel.app/complete-streets-safety-demonstration-project-airway-heights-wa/">Airway Heights quick-build project</a>
<h4>Getting started</h4>
Over the past five years, Airway Heights has made significant progress with creating family-friendly routes so that all members of the community can reach every day destinations. In 2019 the city participated in Smart Growth America’s Washington <a href="https://sga-vpb-frontend.vercel.app/tag/complete-streets-leadership-academy/">Complete Streets Leadership Academy,</a> which allowed them to explore changes to their community through a <a href="https://sga-vpb-frontend.vercel.app/complete-streets-safety-demonstration-project-airway-heights-wa/">quick-build project.</a> Their goal was to slow traffic and encourage non-motorized travel in the area, and they succeeded. The response to the project, which included the use of artwork to create space for pedestrians and the addition of plants to a high-traffic area, was overwhelmingly positive. Over the course of a week, traffic slowed around the project site and over 100 families walked and biked into the demonstration project area in just one day.
<h4>Implementing proposed changes</h4>
Airway Heights took the momentum from this temporary project to inform permanent changes. The city is working to address the dangers presented by U.S. 2 through collaboration with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) on improvements to a segment of the highway to make it safer for those walking, biking, and rolling.
<figure id="attachment_87818" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-87818" style="width: 830px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-87818" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/airway-3-300x200.jpg" alt=" width="830" height="554" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-87818" class="wp-caption-text">A 90 percent completed draft plan for the 6th avenue improvements (<a href="https://cawh.org/6th-avenue-extension-and-redesign-project/">City of Airway Heights</a>)</figcaption></figure>
They are also currently working to <a href="https://cawh.org/6th-avenue-extension-and-redesign-project/">redesign 6th avenue</a> by integrating several Complete Streets elements like adding sidewalks, a shared use path, and transit stops. Airway Heights has several other Complete Streets projects planned, and are pursuing resources to fill any remaining gaps in funding so they can create a safe, efficient network for all road users.
Thanks to recent progress at the state level, Airway Heights is better positioned to work with WSDOT on implementing Complete Streets and building safer, healthier communities. In 2022, the Washington State Legislature passed the <a href="https://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2021-22/Pdf/Bills/Session%20Laws/Senate/5974-S.SL.pdf?q=20220427105402">Move Ahead Washington</a> package, which included a Complete Streets requirement directing WSDOT to “improve the safety, mobility, and accessibility of state highways” by embedding Complete Streets principles into projects costing over $500,000.
Airway Heights has also made policy progress at the local level to move Complete Streets work forward. In November 2024, Airway Heights <a href="https://www.codepublishing.com/WA/AirwayHeights/html/AirwayHeights14/AirwayHeights1410.html">updated their Complete Streets policy</a> to support their current momentum and continue to make changes that address the needs of all community members. They are currently working to update their <a href="https://www.cawhcompplan.com/policy">Comprehensive Plan</a> to specifically prioritize development of an efficient multi-modal transportation network.
<h4>Key takeaways</h4>
A critical component of Airway Heights’ continued progress has been the collaborative approach they have taken. They engaged the community from the beginning, starting with their quick-build project. This allowed them to make sure the project reflected the wants and needs of the community. Starting with a temporary, low-budget project allowed the city to see how community members were engaging with the new facilities and gather data and lessons learned to inform a permanent solution. By updating its Complete Streets policy and Comprehensive Plan—and with efforts from state legislation—Airway Heights is building a stronger foundation for long-term success.
We look forward to seeing the results of what is currently in the works in Airway Heights, and what they will accomplish in the future!

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Complete Streets progress in Airway Heights, Washington

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The comprehensive tax package passed by the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives includes a renewal and extension of the Opportunity Zone tax incentive (OZs). Don’t miss your opportunity to tell Congress to prioritize transparency and affordability in an extension of the OZ program!
<h4>What are Opportunity Zones? 
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The Opportunity Zones tax incentive is a tool designed to catalyze investment and growth in distressed communities. The tool operates by providing a set of preferential tax treatments to entities that invest capital gains into qualifying investments in underinvested or otherwise distressed communities. The OZ program was created in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and was set to sunset at the end of 2026. Generally, it has driven a new wave of investment in communities across the country, with a notable <a href="https://eig.org/opportunity-zones-housing-supply/">impact</a> on <a href="https://www.novoco.com/notes-from-novogradac/new-administration-sparks-optimism-around-opportunity-zones">housing production.</a> If extended, we are eager to see the program become more transparent and more impact-focused by further focusing the tool on much-needed affordable housing production.
<h4>Why take action now?</h4>
The version of the comprehensive tax legislation recently passed by the U.S. House of Representatives included an extension of the Opportunity Zone tax incentive (OZs). The current bill extends the period of time the incentive can be utilized to 2033, calls for a refreshed list of eligible Opportunity Zones, and adds new reporting requirements. While the inclusion of reporting requirements is a positive step, they are not guaranteed to be included in the final bill, and no additional incentives were provided that would steer investment towards the development of affordable housing.
[button type=&#8221;info&#8221; block=&#8221;true&#8221; size=&#8221;lg&#8221; link=&#8221;https://smartgrowthamerica.salsalabs.org/ozs&#8221;]Take action and advocate for transparency and affordability in the OZ program! [/button]
Smart Growth America and a coalition of impact-focused partners have <a href="https://sga-vpb-frontend.vercel.app/stakeholders-call-for-a-smarter-opportunity-zone-incentive-to-deliver-a-variety-of-housing-types-in-wider-range-of-communities/">previously urged</a> Congress to strengthen the Opportunity Zone incentive to better support the use of OZs to deliver high-impact projects such as affordable housing, and include reporting requirements in an extension. Previous assessments of residential units built with OZ capital show that the incentive has rarely been used for the creation of explicitly affordable units. To meet the urgent need for more affordable housing, OZ incentives must better align with the needs of the communities they are intended to serve. That’s why we’re calling for increased benefits for developers who build housing that is affordable to people earning less than the area median income—so that the incentives are targeted where the need is greatest.
<h4>Your voice is needed!</h4>
Help us strengthen the impact and transparency of the Opportunity Zone program! We need your help to build support for reforms to the Opportunity Zone program, reforms that will spur the creation of affordable housing and protect the currently included reporting requirements. Whether you’re an individual, business, or organization, your advocacy is crucial.
Take action today:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://smartgrowthamerica.salsalabs.org/ozs">Contact your representatives and urge them to advocate for the inclusion of an affordable housing incentive and reporting requirements in any extension of the Opportunity Zones program.</a></li>
<li>Spread the word—share this post and engage your networks in this critical effort.</li>
</ul>
Together, we can push Congress to create a more transparent, impact-focused Opportunity Zone incentive.

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Opportunity Zones for Impact: Tell Congress to pass reforms to the federal Opportunity Zone tax incentive

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Over the past three years, Smart Growth America (SGA) has worked with the City of Monroe, Louisiana to improve connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists in a previously underinvested downtown neighborhood. Monroe’s participation in SGA’s Champions Institute in 2022 led to ongoing engagements, including in-person technical assistance, access to in-person convenings, grant support, and advice on street design. As a result, Monroe has improved its street network and successfully applied for federal funding to further these efforts.
Like many other American cities, Monroe&#8217;s streets have been designed to move vehicles at high speeds. This makes travel difficult for people walking, biking, or rolling, and creates dangerous conditions for all road users, including drivers. This is especially true in certain neighborhoods that lack important amenities like sidewalks, bike lanes, and transit shelters, such as the South 2nd Street corridor in Monroe, LA. This corridor includes a wide street with two separated lanes of traffic in each direction, with few crosswalks, no bikelanes, and narrow, poorly maintained sidewalks. The city decided to improve safety and connectivity along the corridor for the residents in the area (over 90 percent are African American).
<blockquote>“Many people don’t have cars, some of them don’t have money to get on the bus. They ought to be able to walk to get where they need to go without being hurt or harmed.”-Jeanette, Monroe resident and walk audit participant</blockquote>
<h4>First steps to improve road safety</h4>
Smart Growth America’s engagement with the City of Monroe began in 2022 when Mayor Friday Ellis participated in <a href="https://sga-vpb-frontend.vercel.app/the-champions-institute-is-back-with-its-third-cohort-of-local-leaders/">SGA’s Champions Institute.</a> Over the course of nine months, he joined other local elected officials from across the country for expert-led virtual sessions about best practices on how to make his city safer, healthier, and more connected. During the program, he <a href="https://sga-vpb-frontend.vercel.app/the-third-champions-institute-comes-to-a-close/">developed initial ideas and plans</a> for improvements to the South 2nd Street corridor. City staff worked with SGA to <a href="https://sga-vpb-frontend.vercel.app/best-complete-streets-monroe-louisiana/">quantify some of the benefits</a> that could be realized for the community if changes were implemented. Following Mayor Ellis’ participation in the Champions Institute, SGA team members travelled to Monroe in November 2023 to lead a two-day, in-person workshop about road safety, with a focus on the South 2nd Street corridor. The workshop involved presentations from Smart Growth America staff on Complete Streets and related topics, conversations with city leadership and other key stakeholders including city staff and community members, as well as a <a href="https://www.aarp.org/livable-communities/getting-around/aarp-walk-audit-tool-kit/?cmp=RDRCT-482bcc3c-20211209">walk audit</a> of the corridor to see firsthand some of the challenges that would be addressed with the proposed changes. Mayor Ellis and the SGA team used this as an opportunity to advance some of the original plans discussed during the Champions Institute, and to engage the community about the mayor’s vision for the future of Monroe.
<figure id="attachment_87804" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-87804" style="width: 460px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-87804" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/monroe-1-300x225.png" alt=" width="460" height="345" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-87804" class="wp-caption-text">Mayor Ellis joins stakeholders on a walk audit.</figcaption></figure>
In addition to receiving direct, individualized support, Mayor Ellis became engaged with a peer network of local elected officials and other decision makers interested in advancing safer, healthier, and more resilient communities. In 2024, Mayor Friday Ellis attended <a href="https://sga-vpb-frontend.vercel.app/a-community-of-collaboration-the-2024-champions-alumni-convening/">SGA’s Champions Alumni Convening</a> in Washington, DC There he shared his perspectives and experiences participating in the program with other former Champions. Monroe leadership remains in touch regularly with SGA for continued support and technical assistance around the various topics originally identified by Mayor Ellis in the Champions Institute.
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<figure id="attachment_87803" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-87803" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-87803 size-large" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/monre-2-1024x768.png" alt="Community members discuss different options for improving the South 2nd Street corridor." width="1024" height="768" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-87803" class="wp-caption-text">Community members discuss different options for improving the South 2nd Street corridor.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_87802" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-87802" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-87802 size-large" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/monroe-3-1024x682.png" alt="Mayor Ellis shares an update at the Champions Alumni Convening. " width="1024" height="682" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-87802" class="wp-caption-text">Mayor Ellis shares an update at the Champions Alumni Convening.</figcaption></figure>
<h4>Implementing proposed changes</h4>
Monroe leadership has embraced changes identified throughout the program and dedicated significant effort and resources into making positive improvements to better connect residents with safer, more connected options to the city. For example, the city implemented some of the <a href="https://sga-vpb-frontend.vercel.app/what-are-complete-streets/">Complete Streets principles</a> into a restriping project along North 6th Street. Rather than re-striping the road as it had previously been (with two lanes of traffic and a parking lane), they successfully pilot tested dedicated, protected space for walking and biking. SGA advised the city on potential design choices and encouraged them to think how the city could make these improvements permanent.
To further its efforts, the city has been actively pursuing funds to support ongoing infrastructure changes. In 2024, the city was awarded a $90,000 grant from the <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/grants/thriving-communities">Department of Transportation&#8217;s Thriving Communities Program</a>. The city will use this funding to install vibrant murals on Main Street&#8217;s &#8220;Art Alley&#8221; as well as the South 2nd Street corridor to improve the appearances of these corridors in order to encourage more walking, biking, and rolling. The city is currently pursuing other funds to make even more improvements to their community that support physical activity, mobility, and increased social connection among residents.
Going forward, SGA will continue its partnership with Monroe. The city has taken bold steps towards its community safety and health goals and is a model on how small towns can think creatively and work across sectors to improve safety for all residents. As the city receives more funding and implements its projects and plans, we expect to see additional significant benefits that continue increasing connectivity and safety within Monroe.
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.

Improving transportation and road safety in Monroe, LA

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Brownfields-Webinar

The National Brownfields Coalition and the Center for Creative Land Recycling (CCLR) hosted a webinar last week on understanding federal brownfields policy, advocacy, and funding in 2025. Attendees heard from Kennedy O’Dell, Senior Manager of Advocacy at Smart Growth America, and Jean Hamerman, Executive Director of CCLR, who explained the history of the brownfields program and provided an insider’s perspective on what&#8217;s happening with federal funding, EPA programs, and brownfield legislation pending in Congress. Here are some of our key takeaways from the conversation.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Webinar: Understanding the federal environment for brownfields policy and advocacy in 2025" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_yBLlbmXRJE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
It’s a time of change and disruption in Washington, and in the midst of it all, Congress and the administration are actively considering the future of federal support for brownfields programs. Recognizing how difficult it is to track those changes in real time while still pursuing brownfields work, the National Brownfields Coalition convened a webinar to help brownfields practitioners build or expand their understanding of federal legislation and the work of the National Brownfields Coalition in advancing sustainable brownfield redevelopment. The webinar covered a wide range of issues, including brownfields tax deduction legislation, brownfields reauthorization legislation, FY26 appropriations, and other timely issues. Attendees learned about these major legislative opportunities, <a href="https://sga-vpb-frontend.vercel.app/key-priorities-for-the-federal-brownfields-program/">National Brownfield Coalition priorities</a> for each opportunity, and how they can support legislative efforts.
<h4>Here are the top takeaways from our conversation on federal brownfields policy:</h4>
1. Despite a turbulent and uncertain funding environment broadly, bipartisan support remains for federal brownfields programs in Congress. Positive signs for the program’s wellbeing continue, including bipartisan hearings on the program, continued EPA activity, the recent announcement of a new round of grant recipients, and the fact the National Brownfields Conference is still on for Chicago in August of this year.
2. There are three primary federal policy issues for brownfields work specifically: reauthorization of the EPA’s brownfields program, the potential inclusion of a federal brownfields tax incentive in pending tax legislation, and the yearly appropriations process. Each issue is an opportunity to advance brownfields work, either by pursuing funds or incentives that can support projects or by seeking legislative adjustments to improve the program overall.
3. Legislation reauthorizing the brownfields redevelopment tax incentive has been introduced by a bipartisan pair of legislators and the provision is up for consideration in the comprehensive tax package. H.R. 815, recently reintroduced by Rep. Sherrill (D-NJ) and Rep. Turner (R-OH), would allow taxpayers to fully deduct the cleanup costs of contaminated property in the year the costs were incurred. By allowing for the expensing of remediation costs, the deduction makes contaminated sites far more competitive to develop. The introduction of a bipartisan piece of legislation reauthorizing the incentive after it expired in 2012 is a positive step forward.
4. The process of reauthorizing EPA’s brownfields program is moving forward in a largely positive and bipartisan manner. Senator Capito and Senator Blunt Rochester introduced a bill to reauthorize EPA’s brownfields program, the Brownfields Reauthorization Act of 2025 (S. 347), and the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee passed it unanimously earlier this year. In the House, there have been <a href="https://sga-vpb-frontend.vercel.app/the-national-brownfields-coalition-testifies-a-second-time-on-importance-of-federal-brownfields-program/">multiple positive hearings</a> on the program. While additional steps remain before passage, the coalition applauds the forward progress and the consideration of their <a href="https://sga-vpb-frontend.vercel.app/key-priorities-for-the-federal-brownfields-program/">reauthorization priorities. </a>
<h4>Advocate for the brownfields redevelopment tax incentive</h4>
The National Brownfields Coalition needs your help to galvanize support for the <a href="https://sga-vpb-frontend.vercel.app/revitalizing-communities-support-the-brownfields-redevelopment-tax-incentive/">brownfields redevelopment tax incentive</a> (H.R. 815) and ensure Congress takes action in an upcoming tax package to restore this vital tool for spurring economic growth and improving community well-being. Whether you’re an individual, business, or organization, your advocacy is crucial.
You can take action today by contacting your representatives and <a href="https://smartgrowthamerica.salsalabs.org/brownfields-tax-incentive2025">urging them to support or cosponsor H.R. 815</a> and spreading the word by sharing this post and engaging your networks in this critical effort. For more information on the Brownfields Redevelopment Tax Incentive and how you can help, check out our <a href="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Brownfields-Fact-Sheet-2025-1.pdf">fact sheet</a> here.

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Webinars

Four takeaways from the National Brownfields Coalition’s federal policy webinar

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<h4>Background</h4>
Smart Growth America (SGA) is seeking one to three mission-aligned organizations to share space within our high-quality office at 1350 I (“Eye”) Street NW, next to Franklin Square and the McPherson Square Metro station. SGA is a national non-profit organization advancing policy change in transportation and land use to create thriving, well-connected communities. SGA has capacity to sub-lease up to 10 individual work stations and associated common spaces. SGA is seeking commitments of at least one year or up to 10 years and will prioritize organizations interested in a higher number of desk spaces. SGA is currently scoping sub-lease arrangements with partner organizations and anticipates moving forward with the process with the building management in early summer 2025.
Office spaces (up to 10 work spaces total, all with hybrid sit/stand desks) available for sub-lease include:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">1 high-quality individual office suitable for 1 or 2 work stations with view of Franklin Park;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">2 interior offices suitable for 1 or 2 work stations;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Cubicle-style desks in an open work area.</li>
</ul>
Shared office common spaces which would be usable by a sub-leasing organization include:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">One large, high-quality meeting room with a view and hybrid technology, which can seat 15-30 people (15 at table seating, about 30 with additional bench seating);</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Bookable meeting rooms with seating for 4-10 suitable for hybrid meetings and call boxes;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">High-quality kitchen including fridge, counter space, kitchen storage space, and table seating;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Informal seating and huddle meeting areas including couches;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Wellness room.</li>
</ul>
Shared amenities in the building accessible to all tenants include:
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<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">High-quality lobby &amp; ground floor tenants’ lounge with couch seating, tables, booths, and free coffee;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">A bookable basement conference center for larger meetings (small cleaning fee required);</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Gym and showers, parking (additional fee), and secure bike storage room.</li>
</ul>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-87777" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cafe-300x225.jpg" alt=" width="300" height="225" data-wp-editing="1" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-87778" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/exterior-office-300x225.jpg" alt=" width="300" height="225" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-87779" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cubicle-300x225.jpg" alt=" width="300" height="225" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-87780" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/common-area-300x225.jpg" alt=" width="300" height="225" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-87781" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/interior-300x225.jpg" alt=" width="300" height="225" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-87782" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/kitchen-300x225.jpg" alt=" width="300" height="225" />
For more photos, click <a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1L7stDiXjYDkG_CG6JYz5DsiWhG7N3jo1?usp=sharing">here</a>.
<h4>Estimated monthly costs</h4>
SGA will calculate exact proposed monthly costs based on square footage proposed to be sub-leased. The estimate below includes an example for one configuration of space and includes the office/desk space and access to meeting rooms, office common space and building amenities, calculated as a shared percentage.
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Sub-lease arrangement including access to shared amenities &amp; meeting space</td>
<td>Estimated monthly cost</td>
<td>Estimated annual cost</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>One window office, one interior office, 8 cubicles</td>
<td>$8,804.33</td>
<td>$105,651.96</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h4>Contact</h4>
For more information or to express interest in leasing this space, please reach out to Isaac Mintz, VP of Finance and Administration at <a href="mailto:imintz@smartgrowthamerica.org">imintz@smartgrowthamerica.org</a>.

Downtown Washington D.C. sub-lease opportunity

Uncategorized

CZS-Webinar-3

The Center for Zoning Solutions’ hosted a webinar on how zoning regulations can impact a community’s climate efforts. Attendees heard from <a href="https://www.cambridgema.gov/cdd/zoninganddevelopment/contactus">Jeff Roberts</a>, the Director of Zoning and Development on the City of Cambridge’s Climate Resilient zoning measures, <a href="https://www.cacwny.org/about/staff/">Bridge Rauch</a>, a Community Organizer from Clean Air Coalition of Western New York on their coalition’s work to advance an environmental justice overlay district, and also got a preview of our upcoming climate havens report.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Webinar: Climate-informed zoning" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gK4VpXNFF14?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Addressing climate impacts in land use planning is a critical step to ensure that climate goals are reflected in a local regulatory framework. If a comprehensive plan aims to prioritize climate resiliency, but the zoning code allows development in areas with a higher risk of experiencing a natural disaster (e.g., flooding), long-term resiliency goals will not be reflected in the built environment outcomes. Aligning regulations with values is even more important when thinking about a prevention strategy to preempt development in disaster-prone areas to stop harm before it happens. 
[alert type=&#8221;info&#8221;] If you are interested in engaging with our work around climate migration and climate havens, please fill out this <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeEsuyOSgaXMEa1F7pi2trlllunErUH0XwXDU91t6UODnVhOg/viewform?usp=dialog">brief survey</a> to receive a sneak peek of our upcoming climate havens report! [/alert]
Here are our top takeaways from our land use and climate impacts conversation:
1. Climate havens are becoming increasingly relevant. As residents across the U.S. are impacted by extreme weather, best practices for becoming a climate haven— whether or not you have been classified as a climate haven— are important for any community to know. Climate haven measures are important to consider for all communities, whether it is anticipated that you will receive new residents who were displaced due to climate events, or if you are interested in future-proofing the community from ever-worsening climate events.
2. Your zoning is only as good as your planning efforts. Zoning is a tool—it can yield good or poor results based on the regulations your community prescribes. To make the most of this tool, zoning reform should be grounded in strong planning that looks at the current conditions of your community and anticipates future needs and evolving conditions. The City of Cambridge has built its <a href="https://www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/zoninganddevelopment/sustainabledevelopment/climateresiliencezoning">climate resiliency measures</a> on a strong basis of research, citizen advocacy, and professional expertise in balancing housing production and climate regulation priorities.
3. Regulating land use changes in your community is an act of balancing priorities. Regulations should reflect your community’s values and allow you to fulfill your long-term planning goals. Currently, there may be an inherent conflict between your regulations and values. For example, if your city council would like to promote housing production but you have zoning regulations such as large minimum lot size requirements, or only permit a low number of dwelling units per acre, you may be restricting new development to yield only single-family homes. In this case, your city will need to prioritize which regulations to preserve, and which to change and/or remove to remove barriers to increased housing production.
4. Coalition building brings together residents to create a shared vision for your community. This is a long-term process that will require time, patience, and investment to yield a strong consensus.
<h4>Going Deeper: Exploring key questions from the webinar</h4>
We were thrilled to have many attendees pose thought-provoking questions to our panel of speakers. In an effort to address some lingering questions from folks, here are a few questions posed by attendees along with our follow-up responses.
[collapsibles]
[collapse title=&#8221;What types of climate-friendly planning and zoning work well for suburban and rural communities without mass transit, but with a network of trails and shared-use paths?&#8220;]
A key concept of smart growth is locating development in areas connected to jobs and other needs, whether they drive, take transit, walk, or bike. An opportunity for suburban and rural communities that have trails and shared-use paths could be to ensure that these paths connect to key amenities in your community (e.g., employment centers, commercial corridors, neighborhood retail, schools, etc.), and to promote denser development around these locations. Don’t just build a trail to nowhere, the trail needs to connect people to everyday amenities and serve as <a href="https://sga-vpb-frontend.vercel.app/beyond-infrastructure-development-fostering-sustainable-urban-development-in-cities-across-the-globe/">green infrastructure.</a> This approach can encourage an uptake in the use of these paths to access destinations in your community, provide an alternative for residents to use active transportation methods rather than relying on a car to access goods and services, and provide access to green infrastructure to <a href="https://sga-vpb-frontend.vercel.app/health-equity-and-the-built-environment/">support residents’ physical and mental health</a>. This type of planning could look like changing the base zoning district of parcels abutting your trail and path network. Encouraging this targeted location-based development can boost active transportation and promote density in well-connected areas of your community.
[/collapse]
[collapse title=&#8221;What is Cambridge’s Cool Score? Is it a requirement to meet or an incentive bonus?&#8220;]
Cambridge’s <a href="https://www.cambridgema.gov/~/media/Files/CDD/ZoningDevel/OtherProjects/resiliencetaskforce/200210coolfactorscoresheet.pdf">Cool Score</a> refers to the city’s performance-based “Green Factor,” which is triggered on any development projects subject to the City’s Green Building Requirements. Cooling features can include tree canopy preservation, new tree planting, green roofs and facades, and pavements with a solar reflective index or shaded area.
[/collapse]
[collapse title=&#8221;How did Cambridge educate the public about its climate-informed zoning changes?&#8220;]
During the webinar, Jeff Roberts shared his experience creating climate-informed zoning to achieve Cambridge’s climate priorities. Advancing climate resiliency is a key priority for the city alongside spurring more housing production, which has been the subject of recent reforms.
The city’s process for enacting climate resiliency measures began in 2018, when Cambridge <a href="https://www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/zoninganddevelopment/sustainabledevelopment/climateresiliencezoning">created a task force</a> composed of residents, developers, technical experts, and city staffers to recommend updates to the city’s zoning ordinance. This collaborative approach allowed residents to meaningfully shape the development of new regulations that align with community priorities. All meetings held by the task force were accessible to the public. In addition, two public hearings were held on the zoning amendments themselves prior to the zoning petition’s adoption in February 2023.
[/collapse]
[collapse title=&#8221;What advice do you have for beginning conversations with communities that may be hostile to the use of the terms “greening” or “zoning”, and/or are not receptive to solutions that require a higher cost or increased staff capacity to manage?&#8220;]
Messaging is key here. Avoid using language that may result in the conversation being dominated by critiques around verbiage rather than discussing the heart of the issue. Use outcome-oriented language that can be easily understood and that all people can get behind. When thinking about the results you would like to achieve, how can you frame this as a conversation that comes back to people? What positive impact would this intervention have on people’s lives in your community? How would it make their day-to-day better? Focusing on the end result can help to build support for the interim steps needed to achieve this goal.
Take advantage of statutory regulatory timeframes to advance innovative solutions; if your community has to update its zoning by law, this is especially the time to pursue innovative solutions such as climate-friendly zoning, FBCs (which are inherently climate-friendly), and/or performance-based green zones.
If there is no existing system in place to regulate your land uses, this may result in additional expenses for your community, as there is a lack of a standardized process and procedure to follow when assessing new development applications. This adds uncertainty for both developers and municipal staff. If there is buy-in to pursue a standardized regulatory process, this could be an opportunity for your region to encode its values within your local land use regulations (i.e., greening measures). Consider taking an alternative approach to zoning via the adoption of a form-based code, which allows your community to focus on the design standards of new development and new buildings’ interaction with the public realm, rather than focusing on a separation of land uses. Adopting a form-based code can increase your community’s flexibility in approaching land-use regulations and allow you to tailor your standards to reflect the local conditions of your community.
[/collapse]
[/collapsibles]

Climate resiliency

Zoning Reform

Four takeaways from our Climate-informed zoning webinar

Climate Change

Resilience

Zoning

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Major tax legislation is an opportunity for Congress to incentivize and unleash investment in housing and development through the tax code—are they taking the action the country so critically needs?
The Republican-controlled Congress passed a sweeping budget resolution in April that allowed them to begin drafting the changes to the tax code that will shape the future of development and impact smart growth efforts nationwide. The tax code has traditionally been a vehicle for specific community development tools such as the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, the New Markets Tax Credit, and the Opportunity Zones incentive. These tax incentives pair with the direct funding provided to communities through programs like the Community Development Block Grant program and brownfields grants to support critical housing and redevelopment projects in communities across the country. Does the legislation that this Congress is advancing foster healthy, prosperous, and resilient communities? Not quite.
House Republicans largely opted for a tax bill that provided tax relief directly to companies and individuals rather than one that prioritizes supporting community development through the tax code. This approach and the budget constraints imposed by fiscal conservatives forged a bill that has a few strong provisions but is also missing key opportunities to invest in the next decade of development. For example, the bill expands the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, used to support the construction of affordable rental units, but failed to include the Neighborhood Homes Investment Act, which would help support the construction and preservation of affordable owner-occupied housing.
Rather than <a href="https://sga-vpb-frontend.vercel.app/the-developers-perspective-tax-priorities-for-smart-growth/">a clear mandate for smart growth,</a> the current tax bill instead offers mixed signals:
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-87751 alignleft" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Screenshot-2025-05-21-at-9.07.12 AM-120x300.png" alt=" width="25" height="63" data-wp-editing="1" /> Green light: The most effective tax credit to build affordable housing made the cut. Key priorities related to expanding the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), a tax credit used to build and rehabilitate affordable housing units, are in the bill draft. These include:
<ul>
<li>Increasing the amount of credits available<a href="https://www.novoco.com/notes-from-novogradac/lihtc-pab-multipliers-applied-to-irs-population-figures-mean-record-pab-cap-for-2025"> by extending a provision that provided an increase in the overall amount of credits</a> for four years.</li>
<li>Increasing the number of homes that can be financed through the program by reducing the portion of a project that must be bond-financed to qualify for the credit.</li>
<li>Providing a boosted incentive for rural and Native American areas by designating them as “Difficult Development Areas.”</li>
</ul>
Leading tax credit advocates with the ACTION Campaign say that these provisions could result in the production of over half a million additional affordable homes.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-87756 alignleft" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Screenshot-2025-05-21-at-9.08.42 AM-131x300.png" alt=" width="26" height="59" />Yellow light: It’s a mixed bag on development incentives targeted to underserved communities. Overall, Congress chose to protect most existing community development financing tools, with the exception of the New Markets Tax Credit, but did not take a proactive approach to expanding the toolbox.
<ul>
<li>The bill doubles down on the Trump-era policy of Opportunity Zones, a tax incentive for certain investments in specific distressed census tracts, by extending the period of time the incentive can be utilized into the future, allowing the universe of census tracts designated as Opportunity Zones to be refreshed through a redesignation process, and adding reporting requirements.</li>
<li>Tax exemptions for municipal bonds were not eliminated, as some feared they might be. Tax-exempt bonds are a critical tool <a href="https://www.cdfa.net/cdfa/cdfaweb.nsf/48fc5ad035ef5f7b882578e7005f7d66/cc45420ef12f69798825793d005e79bc/$FILE/CDFA-Built-by-Bonds.pdf">communities use to finance essential infrastructure</a>, and removing the tax exemption would undercut community development efforts nationwide.</li>
<li>On the other hand, an extension of the New Markets Tax Credit and language creating the new homebuilding incentive proposed by the <a href="https://www.neighborhoodhomesinvestmentact.org">Neighborhood Homes Investment Act</a> are not included in the bill.</li>
</ul>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-87755 alignleft" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Screenshot-2025-05-21-at-9.09.00 AM-138x300.png" alt=" width="26" height="56" />Red light: No focus on supporting downtowns, main streets, or growth in areas well-connected to essential destinations. The draft is missing several tax provisions that would incentivize, either implicitly or explicitly, infill development or redevelopment in areas close to services and amenities.
<ul>
<li>The bill does not include the brownfields tax deduction, which would allow taxpayers to fully deduct the cleanup costs of contaminated property in the year the costs were incurred, thereby making the contaminated sites far more competitive to develop.</li>
<li>The bill also does not include a <a href="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/LOCUS_Reinvigorating-OZs-to-deliver-housing-and-smart-growth_3.14.pdf">LOCUS-proposed provision</a> that would provide a targeted incentive for Opportunity Zone projects located in downtowns in urban and suburban areas or rural mainstreets.</li>
<li>Nor was the tax incentive for converting existing vacant and underutilized commercial properties into new housing proposed in the <a href="https://gomez.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3346">Revitalizing Downtowns and Main Streets Act of 2025</a> included.</li>
</ul>
This failure to encourage the development of housing and the creation of jobs in close proximity to existing resources is a missed chance to improve access to opportunity for more Americans.
<h4>What’s shaping the rest of the process, and where do things go now?</h4>
In a bill <a href="https://www.cdfa.net/cdfa/cdfaweb.nsf/0/85F7715221549F1788258C8A004A4E27/$file/The%20One%2C%20Big%2C%20Beautiful%20Bill%20Section%20by%20Section.pdf">so crowded,</a> the tax provisions are competing directly with community development-focused incentives. For example, preserving basic federal income tax rates as they are, rather than allowing them to expire and rise, is a <a href="https://www.jct.gov/publications/2025/jcx-22-25r/">significant piece of the cost</a>. Elsewhere, provisions that provide direct tax relief to seniors, families with children, and businesses run up the price tag.
While the initial draft included some smart growth tax provisions, the high cost of preserving the basic income tax rates, paired with the overall spending constraints imposed by the fiscal conservatives within the Republican caucus, could threaten the inclusion of community development-focused provisions and other smart growth priorities.
The current text isn’t the final product—the Senate will almost certainly put their stamp on the bill, and the House has not cleared all of their own hurdles. In addition, House Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith recently said that <a href="https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2025/05/smith-aiming-for-bipartisan-tax-bill-at-end-of-year-00351043">he’d like to negotiate a bipartisan tax bill later</a> this year to include provisions with bipartisan support that didn’t have the support within the Republican caucus to be included in the current partisan tax package. The likelihood of that second package coming together remains unclear, upping the stakes for advocacy on the current bill.
<h4>Take action</h4>
As the legislation continues to move forward, it will be critical for stakeholders to advocate for smart growth-aligned tax programs directly to their members, both to protect those already included and to advocate for the addition of programs left on the cutting room floor. Take action in support of the brownfields deduction by clicking <a href="https://smartgrowthamerica.salsalabs.org/brownfields-tax-incentive2025/index.html">here</a> or find contact information for your Members of Congress and reach out to them to advocate directly for <a href="https://sga-vpb-frontend.vercel.app/the-developers-perspective-tax-priorities-for-smart-growth/">smart growth provisions</a> in the tax bill by using <a href="https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members">this link.</a>

Red light, green light: What smart growth provisions are passing go in the pending House tax legislation

KY-CSLA-3

As part of the Complete Streets Leadership Academy in Kentucky, Smart Growth America traveled to Winchester, KY to host an in-person workshop, bringing together local teams from Winchester, Morehead, and Bowling Green and partners from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC). Participants learned more about implementing quick-build demonstration projects, conducted a walk audit of Winchester’s project site, and supported each other’s work by providing ideas and feedback. The teams are now ready to finalize their designs and implement their quick builds to improve safety conditions in their communities.
SGA’s <a href="https://sga-vpb-frontend.vercel.app/complete-streets-leadership-academies-report/">Complete Streets Leadership Academy</a> partners state departments of transportation with local jurisdictions to design, install, and measure the impact of <a href="https://sga-vpb-frontend.vercel.app/program/national-complete-streets-coalition/quick-build-demonstration-projects/">quick-build demonstration projects</a> on state-owned roads. Across the U.S., state-owned roads are some of the most dangerous for people walking and biking, which requires a deep partnership between the state and local teams to improve the safety conditions. This program brings those key partners together to test innovative methods and provide near-term safety improvements. By working with other partners like health departments, schools, and planning agencies, these temporary projects can improve connectivity, build local engagement, and support cross-sector collaboration.
The workshop brought Academy participants—from the <a href="https://sga-vpb-frontend.vercel.app/2025-complete-streets-leadership-academy-launches-in-kentucky-this-spring/">Kentucky</a> cities of Bowling Green, Morehead, and Winchester—together in person to learn about each other’s projects, get to know each other, and use these new partnerships to help each other overcome challenges in their projects. The teams had already attended a series of virtual trainings hosted by SGA that set a foundation for Complete Streets, quick builds, data collection, engagement, and related topics for their projects. This foundation gave participants a shared starting point to understand the active transportation challenges in each other’s communities.
<figure id="attachment_87746" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-87746" style="width: 384px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-87746" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Ky-CSLA-1-300x225.jpg" alt="Local teams presented their project sites, challenges, and goals." width="384" height="289" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-87746" class="wp-caption-text">Local teams presented their project sites, challenges, and goals.</figcaption></figure>
Highlights of the workshop included project presentations from each team, a walk audit of the Winchester project site, and collaborative project design sessions. Each team presented their project site, local safety and access challenges, and the goals of their quick build to the whole group. Through questions and discussion, the teams learned from each other, including how to frame their projects within the context of a larger active transportation plan and strategies to measure how many people currently walk on the project sites.
The walk audit of Winchester’s Boone Ave/KY-627 corridor allowed Winchester city staff, residents, school officials, KYTC, and other regional partners to discuss specific issues on the site together. Challenges the team observed included trucks using the road as a cut-through, drivers speeding, and confusing crossings at intersections. The Morehead and Bowling Green teams used this walk audit to compare Winchester’s challenges to their own, such as the issue with trucks cutting through, and to offer shared strategies, including different approaches to sidewalk maintenance to keep walking paths navigable.
<figure id="attachment_87745" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-87745" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-87745 size-large" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/KY-CSLA-2-1024x768.jpg" alt=" width="1024" height="768" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-87745" class="wp-caption-text">Workshop participants conducted a walk audit.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_87744" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-87744" style="width: 388px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-87744" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/KY-CSLA-3-300x225.jpg" alt=" width="388" height="292" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-87744" class="wp-caption-text">Teams designed their quick-build project, and the group offered feedback.</figcaption></figure>
The second day of the workshop was dedicated to project design, where each team built on their knowledge of their site’s challenges and came up with a proposed quick-build project to achieve their goals, drawing ideas on aerial maps. Participants then offered feedback to each other’s proposals, asking questions and making suggestions to strengthen each project. With ongoing support from SGA and Urbe Studios as technical experts, the teams are now ready to turn their drawings into concept designs, gather the necessary materials, and install their projects.
Once the projects are in place early this summer, the teams will engage the community to learn how people feel about the new street design and measure the safety impacts of the projects. SGA will conclude with recommendations for how KYTC can bring this quick-build process elsewhere to advance safety, access, and Complete Streets across the state. The relationships across cities and with the state that have been built and strengthened by this program will help Kentucky continue this work going forward.
<blockquote>“This is another step toward making Kentucky’s transportation system safe and comfortable for all users.” &#8211;Keith Lovan, KYTC State Bicycle and Ped Coordinator</blockquote>
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.

Quick builds in Kentucky bring local and state teams together

LOCUS-Webinar-Series-3

Join <a href="https://sga-vpb-frontend.vercel.app/program/locus/">LOCUS</a> and an exciting selection of guest speakers, who together, will dive into a series of webinars on how to finance and build missing middle housing, how to utilize the federal Opportunity Zone tax incentive to build residential units, and how to utilize creative financing approaches to facilitate projects that meet urgent community needs.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-87731 size-large" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/LOCUS-Webinar-Series-3-1024x576.png" alt=" width="1024" height="576" />
Over the course of three Thursdays this summer, <a href="https://sga-vpb-frontend.vercel.app/program/locus/">LOCUS</a> and Smart Growth America will host a series of webinars aimed at providing insight into how to finance and build high-interest project typologies, including opportunity zone residential projects, small-scale/missing middle housing, and projects that utilize alternative capital sources. By zeroing in on the capital stack–the actual list of financing streams used to fund a project–the series hopes to demystify development and provide practitioners across the smart growth space with real-world insights on how certain types of projects get off the ground.
At each webinar, attendees will hear from a variety of stakeholders building these projects, providing the financing, or steering development in their communities. Don’t miss the chance to dig into the challenges with developing each project type, explore real case studies, and hear inspiring success stories. Learn more about the sessions and register today!
<h3>1. Utilizing the Opportunity Zone tool for residential development</h3>
With Congress poised to potentially extend the federal Opportunity Zone (OZ) tax incentive, it is a critical time for developers and communities to revisit successful uses of the tool from across the country. On Thursday, June 5th, from 3-4 p.m. ET, hear from experts who are turning OZ investment into positive results. Featured speakers include Natalie Mason, Executive Vice President at Capital Square, Sharetta Smith, Mayor of Lima, OH, and Robin Schabes, Director of Chicagoland OZ Consortium.
[button type=&#8221;primary&#8221; size=&#8221;lg&#8221; link=&#8221;https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__3k4wDaJQuSwqd35qBh5ZA&#8221;] Register for the June 5 webinar here[/button]
<h3>2. Approaches to building small-scale and missing middle housing</h3>
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. This webinar will feature experts who are leading the way in infill development, sustainable housing, and community-based planning solutions. Featured speakers include Jim Heid, Founder of UrbanGreen and CRAFT DnA, Shannon Morgan, President and Co-Founder of Renovare Development, Greg Minott, Managing Principal at DREAM Collaborative, and Jennifer Settle, Senior Associate at Opticos Design. Join us for the conversation on Thursday, June 26, 3-4 p.m. ET.
[button type=&#8221;primary&#8221; size=&#8221;lg&#8221; link=&#8221;https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_yp3-rihbR6KKftcMeP-wgg&#8221;] Register for the June 26 webinar here[/button]
<h3>3. Innovative approaches to housing development</h3>
Alternative approaches in financing or project development can be slow to move from one community to another. On Thursday, July 24th, from 3-4 p.m. ET, tune in for a conversation with leaders championing new models for funding and constructing smart growth-aligned housing types such as co-ops and affordable housing, including Josh Morrison, COO and Co-founder at Frolic Community, Sherry Taylor, Executive Director of Durham Community Land Trustees, and Dave Foster of BDP Impact Real Estate.
[button type=&#8221;primary&#8221; size=&#8221;lg&#8221; link=&#8221;https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Xwi-kvzQTzueWUkE293K0g&#8221;] Register for the July 24 webinar here[/button]

LOCUS webinar series

Building the stack webinar series: Financing smart growth real estate projects

IMG_1253-scaled

Pedestrian fatalities have seen a 75 percent spike since 2010. Communities need to take urgent action to slow cars, improve crossings, and create streets that prioritize safety over speed. Unfortunately, more and more are facing unnecessary barriers from state governments as they put questionable limits on the types of funding, street design changes, and other strategies that can be deployed to save lives. State legislatures need to think less about scoring political points and instead think how they can support local efforts to create safer streets.
Communities across the U.S. are facing a <a href="https://sga-vpb-frontend.vercel.app/dangerous-by-design/">pedestrian safety crisis.</a> Streets designed to move vehicles as fast and conveniently as possible have created environments where those walking, biking, or taking transit are increasingly at risk as they try to get to work, school, and other everyday destinations. Many of these communities are already taking steps to address this by doing everything they can to slow down cars, improve visibility, and create safe ways for people to get to where they need and want to go. They are hard at work—with limited resources—to fight against decades of design and decision-making in order to create a transportation system that works for everyone. Increasingly, their job is being made harder by state policies attempting to limit the tools and strategies at their disposal.
There are a number of ways that states can stand in the way of progress at the local level. Smart Growth America regularly points out the <a href="https://sga-vpb-frontend.vercel.app/dangerous-by-design/state-of-the-states/">disproportionate number of pedestrian fatalities that occur on state-owned roads</a> and <a href="https://sga-vpb-frontend.vercel.app/complete-streets-leadership-academies-report/">the need to find better ways to work with state DOTs.</a> States also control and are responsible for dispersing <a href="https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2023-10/59634.pdf">a large percentage</a> of the funds available for transportation projects.
<h3>What is state preemption?</h3>
Recently, a number of states have gone further by enacting policies that prohibit or limit local jurisdictions in using proven strategies to address traffic safety. This is called state preemption, where a state law or policy supersedes a local policy on the same topic and gives the state preference over an issue. This hamstrings communities in the strategies, policies, and interventions they can deploy around known challenges and can cause unnecessary conflict between local and state policymakers.
<h4>New York</h4>
New York state has often been at odds with New York city over best practices around transportation safety. In addition to the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/09/nyregion/hochul-congestion-pricing.html">well-publicized fight over congestion pricing</a> with the governor’s office in 2024, there have been challenges in being allowed to set and then enforce their own speed limits. Our partners at <a href="https://transalt.org/press-releases/transportation-alternatives-and-families-for-safe-streets-statements-after-state-senate-passes-sammys-law">Families at Safe Streets took this fight all the way to Albany</a> so that city staff and residents could implement the changes they knew needed to be done to address speed in some of the most at-risk areas in the city.
<h4>Texas</h4>
As Texas comes up on <a href="https://www.txdot.gov/about/newsroom/statewide/2024/txdot-partners-with-dps-to-help-end-the-streak-of-daily-deaths-on-texas-roadways.html">25 years of consistent daily traffic fatalities</a>, one would think the state would be trying every solution in the book. Instead, the state legislature is looking to <a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/bike-lanes-pedestrians-congestion-pricing-20276790.php">make it harder </a>for cities to install proven interventions like protected bike lanes and dedicated bus lanes. Not too surprising considering the state Republican Party specifically calls out road diets in its <a href="https://texasgop.org/2024-platform-and-legislative-priorities/">2024 Platform and Legislative priorities.</a> As communities tackle their own internal challenges from <a href="https://www.route-fifty.com/infrastructure/2024/04/new-houston-mayor-reverses-course-bike-pedestrian-improvements/395638/">loss of strong leadership on the topic,</a> the state paving the way to continue the status quo suggests the anniversaries of the last day without a fatality might continue past 2025.
<h4>Utah</h4>
While windshield bias is known to pop up in legislation, it is rare that it is so explicit as in <a href="https://buildingsaltlake.com/utah-legislature-moves-steal-salt-lake-citys-street-planning-power/">a Utah bill</a> that would prohibit “any other strategy that when implemented may increase congestion for motor vehicles or discourage motor vehicles from driving on a particular” street. In no clearer words could it be communicated to the state that people in cars are not only a priority, but the priority in the transportation system. This particular piece of legislation is believed to be aimed specifically at Salt Lake City but would have a chilling effect on any community looking to adopt and implement a Complete Streets approach.
At a time of chaos and uncertainty in the federal government, it is even more important that state legislatures provide leadership on issues like transportation. This means not creating unnecessary barriers for local champions who know what their communities need. And, if they continue to stand in the way of progress, community residents should remember these actions come the next election cycle to communicate to those in office their own priorities in transportation.

Dangerous by Design

State DOTs

Roadblocks to safety: How state preemption puts pedestrians at risk

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Earlier this spring, our 2025 Equity Summit brought smart growth leaders, advocates, and practitioners together to explore how communities can work together to address their most pressing priorities for the built environment. From moving beyond housing scarcity to focusing on outcomes over process, the conversations we had over our two days together helped us gain confidence in our work&#8217;s future—and some practical tools to continue advancing healthy, prosperous, and resilient communities in 2025 and beyond.
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This year’s Summit featured candid discussions about the structural barriers that keep communities from building the places they envision and how adapting our approach can lead to tangible results. Speakers and attendees alike reinforced that progress isn’t just about policy—it’s about shifting mindsets, elevating the right voices, and embracing abundance rather than scarcity. Whether through zoning reform, community engagement, or messaging strategies, every conversation kept coming back to one essential question: How do we build forward?
Jerusalem Demsas’ <a href="https://youtu.be/aDaYFNQmJbw">keynote address</a> underscored the moment&#8217;s urgency, which was both energizing and a call for deeper reflection. She challenged us to rethink how we approach housing production, demand, and financing, highlighting how process-focused debates have slowed progress. Her insights set the stage for a Summit filled with perspectives from different backgrounds and ideologies, and challenging but necessary conversations about the future of smart growth.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-87698 size-large" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/SGEquitySummit_20250326_130030-3219_SNH-1024x683.jpg" alt=" width="1024" height="683" />
Advancing equitable outcomes through smart growth is about working to find shared goals with partners, even with some that may seem unlikely, to ensure all communities have the necessary resources and opportunities they need to thrive. Here are three takeaways that emerged across sessions and conversations:
<h3>1. Building bridges across political divides</h3>
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from this year’s Summit was the recognition that broad coalition-building is needed to make meaningful change. One of the most encouraging aspects that came out of the event was the willingness to engage in bipartisan conversations to achieve the results communities are looking for. The Summit brought a unique opportunity to hear from folks with different political perspectives, reinforcing that smart growth priorities like housing should not be partisan issues.
But these conversations don’t happen in a vacuum — they require trust, connection, and a sense of shared purpose. As one speaker from Oregon reflected, his biggest takeaway was the importance of having a “home base” — a space and a community to return to when navigating difficult conversations or shifting language. In this sense, community building became just as important as bridging political divides. Attendees emphasized how being a resource for one another, offering safe spaces, and fostering connections across differences are what will result in tangible progress.
<h3>2. Abundance is what&#8217;s next</h3>
A central theme throughout the event was the link between supply shortages in the built environment and inequity. As Jerusalem Demsas stated, “Equity is impossible under conditions of scarcity.” She pointed to studies that show that interregional mobility, once a path to economic opportunity, is declining. Cities that fail to produce enough housing exacerbate stark imbalances in housing affordability within our communities, allowing the wealthy to secure housing while lower-income residents struggle. Scarcity can pit even inclusive communities against newcomers, reinforcing exclusionary policies.
<h3>3. Outcomes over process</h3>
Too often, discussions about smart growth topics (like zoning) get lost in bureaucratic processes rather than focusing on tangible results. Speakers noted how misplaced priorities, such as overemphasizing permitting details or environmental review during attempts to advance infill development, can stall the production of much-needed housing. Instead, the goal should be to remove unnecessary roadblocks and create pathways for more housing, especially in high-demand areas.
[alert type=&#8221;info&#8221;] <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkIS9ahfD8Q9zaj4JcaqVdJ3rIg_cfanN">Watch the recordings from other panels on reconnecting communities, advocacy, funding equity, and more &gt;&gt;</a> [/alert]
This year’s Summit helped remind us that building forward isn’t just about changing policies—it’s about shifting how we think, speak, and engage. By prioritizing outcomes, embracing abundance, and fostering long-term community connections, we can break down the barriers that stand in the way of progress. The connections we made and the ideas we explored at the Summit will continue to shape our movement in the months and years ahead. We’re more energized to keep the momentum going—together.

2025 Equity Summit

Equity Summit

Building forward: Three takeaways from the 2025 Equity Summit

Advancing Racial Equity

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Congress invited testimony from former National Brownfields Coalition Steering Committee member Michael Goldstein, giving the Coalition another opportunity to champion the federal brownfields program and highlight potential improvements.
On Wednesday, May 7th, the House Transportation and Infrastructure and Subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment Subcommittee held a hearing focused on brownfields. Michael Goldstein, Managing Partner at Goldstein Environmental Law Firm and former National Brownfields Coalition Steering Committee member, testified on the need to restore the federal brownfields tax incentive, to increase flexibility and the amount of funds available through the brownfields program, and to provide additional support for brownfield to affordable housing projects.
[alert type=&#8221;info&#8221;] Watch the whole hearing <a href="https://transportation.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=408575">here</a>. [/alert]
Brownfields, meaning real property where expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant, are a key barrier to growth in communities across the country. When brownfields, which are not typically contributing the potential taxes they could if redeveloped, are remediated and redeveloped with monetary incentives there is typically a 2-3 times return in tax revenue as the property itself is returned to productive use and the values of adjacent properties increase. Congress is currently considering modernizing and reauthorizing the federal brownfields program and is also considering a tax package which could include the restoration of a separate brownfields redevelopment tax incentive.
Representative Mike Collins (R-GA-10), Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, opened the hearing by flagging the success of the brownfields program in terms of jobs and properties remediated, the way the spectre of assuming liability for contaminants can dissuade developers from taking on brownfields, and the role of EPA’s brownfields programs in helping to bridge that uncertainty and spur redevelopment. He also flagged his desire to reduce red tape and streamline processes where possible, particularly as it relates to permitting.
<blockquote>According to EPA, since its inception, the program has made over 10,800 sites ready for productive reuse, leveraged more than $40.4 billion in additional cleanup and redevelopment funding, and helped to create or leverage more than 270,000 jobs.” – Chairman Mike Collins on the impact of EPA’s Brownfields programs</blockquote>
Representative Frederica Wilson (D-FL-24), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee, then highlighted that brownfields are found in communities of all types and voiced her concerns with President Trump’s recent actions and recommendations for funding at EPA.
After opening remarks, the chairman introduced the four witnesses, all of which provided five minutes of opening remarks. The witnesses included Goldstein, the clerk of Oswego County, NY on behalf of the National Association of Counties, a leader from Ohio’s Environmental Protection Agency, and an environmental policy analyst from the Congressional Research Service. All four witnesses spoke to the value of EPA’s programs and provided specific recommendations or historical background on the program.
During his testimony, Mr. Goldstein made many policy recommendations that aligned with <a href="https://sga-vpb-frontend.vercel.app/key-priorities-for-the-federal-brownfields-program/">the priorities for brownfields reauthorization identified by the National Brownfields Coalition</a>, including increasing overall program resources, removing match requirements, and increasing the maximum amount for individual grants. He also made the case for <a href="https://sga-vpb-frontend.vercel.app/revitalizing-communities-support-the-brownfields-redevelopment-tax-incentive/">restoring the brownfields redevelopment tax incentive</a> to allow taxpayers to fully deduct the cleanup costs of contaminated property in the year the costs were incurred, the priority provision for the coalition in a pending tax package. He also spoke to the catalytic nature of the brownfields funding and the way it drives public-private partnerships to address difficult, but well-located, contaminated sites.
Members across the political spectrum applauded the brownfields program and discussed a range of potential ways brownfields redevelopment could be further supported by reforms and expansions of existing programs or modifications to supporting regulations. The hearing builds on the positive, bipartisan support for brownfields programs that was displayed earlier this year during a <a href="https://sga-vpb-frontend.vercel.app/the-national-brownfields-coalition-testifies-before-the-house-energy-and-commerce-subcommittee-on-the-environment-in-support-of-epa-brownfields-programs/">House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on the Environment hearing</a> on brownfields and economic revitalization.
<blockquote>“This is not just about the environment and cleaning up sites, which is very important, but this is about economic development, putting people to work, making sure we’re using our land productively, and giving people an opportunity throughout our country&#8230;”– Representative Emilia Sykes (D-OH-13)</blockquote>
The National Brownfields Coalition hopes to see Congress pass a reauthorization of EPA’s brownfields programs and include a separate restoration of the brownfields redevelopment tax incentive in any tax legislation passed this Congress. Representatives Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) and Mike Turner (OH-10) recently reintroduced the authorizing legislation for a brownfields tax deduction (H.R. 815), which seeks to spur redevelopment, create jobs, and enhance community well-being in communities across the country by allowing taxpayers to fully deduct the cleanup costs of contaminated property in the year the costs were incurred. The reauthorization work is also progressing: the Senate Environment and Public Works committee unanimously passed a bipartisan reauthorization bill in February of this year and the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on the Environment held a hearing to kick off their work on their version of the bill in March.
Through both grant funding and tax deductions, Congress can take action to support local communities in their efforts to undertake much-needed assessments and remediation of contaminated sites and engage in equitable community redevelopment. The National Brownfields Coalition applauds the work done to date from Congress to advance brownfields revitalization and looks forward to further engaging with Congress to continue advancing this legislation.
The <a href="https://sga-vpb-frontend.vercel.app/program/brownfields/">National Brownfields Coalition</a> is a unique, non-partisan alliance that advocates for policy change and funding to responsibly clean up and reuse underutilized or environmentally-impacted land. We educate, advocate, and convene stakeholders nationally to advance brownfields redevelopment and thriving communities.

Brownfields Reauthorization

Brownfields Tax Incentive

EPA Brownfields Program

The National Brownfields Coalition testifies a second time on importance of federal brownfields program

CapitolBuilding

On Thursday, May 8th, Smart Growth America, LOCUS, and a coalition of 12 other impact-focused stakeholders in the federal housing and community development policy space sent a letter to Congress detailing suggestions on how the Opportunity Zone (OZ) incentive could be sharpened for impact if extended in upcoming tax legislation. The letter emphasized that the tool should incentivize affordability in residential development, be modified to work for more communities, be updated to include reporting requirements, and should continue to be thought of as a distinct, specialized tool rather than a replacement for others.
As the Republican-controlled Congress considers a comprehensive tax package, there has been <a href="https://news.bloombergtax.com/daily-tax-report/opportunity-zone-backers-see-trump-win-boosting-extension-odds">buzz</a> about the potential renewal and extension of the Opportunity Zone incentive (OZs), especially given HUD Secretary Turner’s leadership on OZs during the first Trump administration. The Opportunity Zones tax incentive is a tool designed to catalyze investment and growth in distressed communities by offering a tax incentive to entities who invest capital gains into projects in those communities. Since its creation in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, it has driven a <a href="https://eig.org/opportunity-zones-housing-supply/">new wave of investment,</a> particularly into <a href="https://www.novoco.com/notes-from-novogradac/new-administration-sparks-optimism-around-opportunity-zones">housing production.</a>
This week, Smart Growth America and a coalition of impact-focused partners urged Congress to strengthen the Opportunity Zone (OZ) incentive to better support the use of OZs to boost housing supply and deliver high-impact projects such as affordable housing in well-connected locations. While OZs have largely attracted market-rate housing investments to underserved areas, the current structure of the incentive doesn’t drive its use for projects like affordable housing or community facilities. With a few key reforms, the OZ incentive could be adjusted to help to address the housing shortage and bring more impactful projects to a wider range of communities.
“If Congress chooses to extend the OZ program in upcoming tax legislation, we believe that it should continue to be refined to facilitate high-impact projects aligned with critical national needs, such as rural housing, workforce housing, missing middle housing, affordable housing, and brownfield redevelopment,” the letter reads. 
The coalition’s letter includes a number of proposals to help deliver these outcomes and notes that the proposals are not intended to address every adjustment to the program or rewrite it whole cloth, but instead are potential adjustments that could help steer the tool towards higher impact projects without adding significant complexity or limitations to the program.
Many of the included proposals align with SGA’s <a href="https://sga-vpb-frontend.vercel.app/reinvigorating-opportunity-zones-to-deliver-housing-and-smart-growth/">recommendations</a> to reinvigorate OZs to deliver housing and smart growth, including providing an incentive for affordability, improving the tool’s usability for preservation and rehabilitation projects, and adding a “Core OZ” designation to drive investment into downtowns in urban and suburban areas and rural main streets. Some also align with bipartisan fixes pursued or considered in previous Congresses, such as the addition of reporting requirements.
The coalition’s final argument, that OZs are one tool of many rather than a replacement for other programs, alludes to the need for developers and communities to have a variety of instruments to meet specific community needs.
<blockquote>“If Congress wants to improve the tax code to incentivize more targeted community investments while also building the range of homes the country needs, from starter homes for first time buyers to affordable rentals for seniors and veterans, communities and developers need all of the tools in the toolbox,” the group wrote.</blockquote>
Groups cosigning the letter include the Center for Community Progress, Community Opportunity Alliance, Grounded Solutions Network, Habitat for Humanity, Housing Assistance Council, Living Cities, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), National Association of Counties, National Community Reinvestment Coalition, National Housing Conference, National Neighborworks Association, and the Greater Ohio Policy Center. <a href="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/FINAL-OZ-Letter.pdf">Read the full letter here. </a>

Stakeholders call for a smarter Opportunity Zone incentive to deliver a variety of housing types in wider range of communities

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Through a partnership with AARP Vermont and as part of AARP’s <a href="https://www.aarp.org/livable-communities/">Livable Communities Technical Assistance Program</a>, SGA <a href="https://states.aarp.org/vermont/how-community-housing-infrastructure-program-chip-supports-capital-stacks-for-much-needed-housing">evaluated</a> the proposed Community Housing Infrastructure (CHIP) program for its potential impact on housing development. The CHIP program offers a new approach to fund infrastructure for housing at the project scale —a common and challenging funding gap to make housing in established communities.. The program presents particular potential to encourage housing in well-connected locations with good access to resources, civic facilities and economic activity.
On Wednesday, May 7, SGA testified before the Vermont House of Representatives’ House Committee on Ways and Means on how Vermont’s proposed Community Housing Infrastructure Program (CHIP) supports capital stacks for much-needed housing in the state.
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We presented our recent <a href="https://states.aarp.org/vermont/how-community-housing-infrastructure-program-chip-supports-capital-stacks-for-much-needed-housing">evaluation</a>, which revealed that at least 24,000 additional homes are needed in Vermont by 2029. As the 10th most expensive state, half of all Vermont renters spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing, and a quarter spend more than 50 percent. Further, construction and land costs are high, while regulatory challenges that can delay projects and inflate costs. Given the high demand for housing and challenges with financing, and the more acute challenges with infrastructure costs in rural and small communities, Vermont is looking to strategies that offset the infrastructure costs to make projects feasible, particularly those with an affordable housing component that limits rental income.
<blockquote>“We find that when you plan for aging in place &#8211; and supporting communities to have ample housing close to services, transportation and community facilities &#8211; it’s beneficial for everyone in the community.” &#8211; Katharine Burgess, Vice President for Land Use &amp; Development</blockquote>
Our analysis was based on two types of housing scenarios: a 60-unit mixed-income building in a dense area, and a smaller 4-unit adaptive reuse project. In both cases, we found that CHIP funding would fill key financial gaps, reduce risk for investors, and make it more likely the projects move forward. Without it, these developments could stall or fail—especially when delivering affordable to low and moderate income units and accessible units. Additionally, lenders and investors would likely view the project as less risky with public infrastructure support. By boosting feasibility early, the program helps deliver the right housing in the right places, supporting Vermont’s smart growth goals.
As part of his testimony, our Director of Research Michael Rodriquez shared that &#8220;this incentive program is based on a TIF (tax increment financing) style structure that gives a positive boost to an uncertain project with slim returns on investment. Think of how many units were on the edge but were not built&#8230;this program, this boost could have made the difference.&#8221;
SGA previously worked directly with Vermont’s Department of Housing and Community Development on <a href="https://sga-vpb-frontend.vercel.app/resources/designation-2050-vermont-state-designation-program-evaluation-and-reform/">Designation 2050</a>, an assessment of Vermont’s state-level designation program, which informed Act 181 that made changes to the state’s land use and housing development laws and simplified the Designation Program to better provide development incentives.
The AARP Livable Communities program provides capacity to help AARP state offices guide policies and projects to support communities to be vibrant and accessible for people of all ages. Addressing housing needs is a vital goal for the Livable Communities Program, including supporting the delivery of homes appropriate for multi-generational living, aging in place and meeting accessibility needs. We look forward to continuing working together to support smart growth in Vermont.

Livable Communities

Testimony

Vermont

SGA testifies before Vermont State Legislature on analysis of new infrastructure financing program

Rural Development

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Last Friday, May 2nd, President Trump released his &#8220;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Fiscal-Year-2026-Discretionary-budget-request.pdf">skinny budget</a>,&#8221; a document that sets out his vision for the federal government by providing a rough outline of the more detailed budget request he will release later this year. While the president has attacked core federal programs before, this limited budget request proposed a deep and devastating range of spending cuts that would slash vital housing, transportation, and community development programs and devastate communities across the country. 
Presidential budget proposals provide a venue for a president and their administration to lay out their idealized vision for the federal government. While it is in practice a vision that is often dismissed or quickly reshaped by Congress, it reflects the values and goals of an administration. With an emboldened executive in the White House who has been keen to use impoundment and executive orders to enforce his own budgetary vision when it conflicts with that of Congress, the budget also provides advocates some insight into programs and agencies that may be at risk of further reductions or attacks by the administration or other actors working to carry out his agenda.
In the midst of a severe housing affordability and access crisis, President Trump proposed a series of cuts that would leave communities across the country, and particularly small towns and rural communities, struggling to meet even the most basic of their housing and infrastructure needs. From deep cuts to the Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), the HOME Investment Partnerships Programs, and housing assistance programs, the cuts are best characterized as anti-community—intentionally designed to eliminate, defund, or decrease the capacity of federal government agencies that directly support the local financial and social institutions that support our country.
Local governments are often limited in the amount of property taxes they can extract from their populations due to zoning and, in some cases, shrinking populations. This means many communities will be left with massive gaps in essential funding if federal support suddenly disappears. So, instead of having the flexibility to explore innovative, smart growth strategies to improve their community, cities and towns will be pushed to such a level of financial precarity that steep cuts down to basic survival-level operations will be the only option. Together, these budget changes would financially devastate small towns and lead to the defunding of local services and local government programs, increase homelessness across the country, and abandon already resource-constrained American communities.
The president&#8217;s budget proposes to gut programs that provide direct assistance to local governments that meet local needs and other programs that will directly impact/further constrain smart growth:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">The elimination of <a href="https://www.hud.gov/hud-partners/community-cdbg#overview">CDBG</a>, the biggest and most flexible funding source for small and rural communities to install and maintain infrastructure, as well as help catalyze and support private sector development.</li>
<li aria-level="1">The elimination of <a href="https://www.hud.gov/sites/documents/19669_homebrochure.pdf">HOME formula grants</a> would halt the development and preservation of affordable housing through the program, leaving communities without critical, flexible resources they use to help low-income families find homes.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Significant reductions to the <a href="https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services">USDA Rural Development Programs</a> ($721 million), which provide grants, infrastructure loans, rural business loans, rural housing vouchers, and other services to rural communities.</li>
<li aria-level="1">The elimination of the PRO-Housing program (Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing), which sought to provide resources to communities to help them identify and address barriers to affordable housing production, including zoning and land use policies.</li>
</ul>
It proposes gutting programs that provide housing or cost-saving services to individuals:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Devastating cuts to federal rental assistance programs that serve families, veterans, seniors, and residents in communities of all sizes, to the tune of 26 billion dollars. The proposed cuts <a href="https://www.cbpp.org/blog/doge-driven-hud-cuts-will-make-it-harder-for-people-to-afford-housing-exit-homelessness">continue Trump&#8217;s targeting of HUD services that keep people housed</a>, and while the budget proposal claims that removing rental assistance will spur states and the private sector to fill the gap, the much more likely outcome is <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/05/02/nx-s1-5374077/trump-budget-housing-rental-aid-hud-homelessness-funding">a rise in homelessness.</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">The elimination of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) that supports households facing energy burden, including older adults; this support is especially critical at a time of ever-rising housing costs due to climate change which is causing more extreme heat events, and worsening natural disasters which disproportionately hurts lower income and historically marginalized communities.</li>
</ul>
It proposes gutting programs that fund local entities that provide services in their communities:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">The elimination of the Community Services Block Grant, which provides funding directly to community action agencies to provide critical services locally, including by providing help accessing nutrition, utility, education, employment, and transportation programs.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Over $290 million in cuts to the <a href="https://sga-vpb-frontend.vercel.app/financing-community-growth-and-sparking-prosperity-five-housing-projects-cdfi-financing-has-made-possible/">CDFI Fund</a>, which provides funding to community development financial institutions that, in turn, provide affordable credit, capital, and financial services for the communities they operate in, with a particular focus on under-resourced rural and urban areas.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Elimination of the <a href="https://www.neighborworks.org/about-us">Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation</a>, also known as Neighborworks, a congressionally chartered nonpartisan nonprofit that provides direct funding and technical assistance to community organizations pursuing affordable housing and community development projects.</li>
<li aria-level="1">The elimination of the Essential Air Service program (EAS), which helps small and rural communities maintain air service and connectivity; if EAS is abolished without a substantial investment in rail or an alternative mode of connectivity, rural communities will be further isolated economically and socially.</li>
</ul>
Beyond these cuts, the budget reaches deep into government to undermine smaller programs at a variety of agencies that support communities from unique angles, including:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Uncertainty around transportation funding due to a conspicuous lack of detail on funding requests—there are only requests for seven budget accounts (despite there being dozens of accounts administered by USDOT), and there are no requests for the Federal Transit Administration.</li>
<li aria-level="1">A $22.5 billion cut in Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding, a 34 percent decrease from FY25, without fully specifying which programs will be affected. In light of previous statements and actions, passenger rail, transit, electric vehicle infrastructure, and other multimodal transportation grants could be under threat.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Targeting EPA&#8217;s environmental justice work, which has focused on helping support community-led solutions to environmental concerns in a variety of ways.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Cuts to data programs at NOAA that informed land use and development planning to keep future housing out of harm&#8217;s way from increasingly frequent and intense storms.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Over $160 million in cuts to the Small Business Administration&#8217;s Entrepreneurial Development programs, which provide assistance to the small local businesses that make up the backbone of Main Street America.</li>
</ul>
Implicit in the smart growth movement is a deep care for the well-being and vibrancy of communities, from the youngest residents to those who have lived in a neighborhood their entire lives to future residents. If these cuts become law, communities would be unable to meet many basic needs, let alone invest in the well-connected, affordable places to live that help all community members lead prosperous, healthy lives. Instead, the budget would advance sprawling single-family detached housing patterns, further straining municipalities&#8217; fiscal abilities to provide services. From pushing for the elimination of the Community Development Block Grant program to gutting funding for community development financial institutions, the president&#8217;s budget seems to reject the basic idea that the federal government should support communities in their efforts to become and remain vibrant, livable places for all residents.
While the threat to the funding itself is dangerous, Congress will shape the final budget, and many members, including those from Trump&#8217;s own party, have <a href="https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2025/05/trumps-budget-asks-congress-for-tk-non-defense-slashing-00323256">already rejected</a> components of the budget out of hand. While this is a positive sign, the budget&#8217;s full-scale ideological turn against federal support for community growth is a serious threat to federal programs in both the short and long term.
Seeking fiscal responsibility does not necessitate abandoning constituents and communities. Smart growth advocates should reach out to their members of Congress and push them to reject this budget proposal and continue to invest in programs that make all communities more healthy, prosperous, and resilient. Congress can and should exercise its constitutional power of the purse and adopt a budget that supports smart growth strategies and meets the needs of Americans and their communities.

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How Trump’s budget request would have the federal government abandon and isolate people and communities

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