Smart Growth America

04/07/2025

Join us on Tuesday, May 13, 2025 from 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. EST for our Climate-informed zoning webinar hosted by the Center for Zoning Solutions.

The session will showcase how land use planners and community-based organizations have advocated for and introduced climate resiliency measures into local zoning codes.

03/31/2025

Smart growth isn’t just about better places—it’s about smarter policy. Our LOCUS: Responsible Real Estate Developers and Investors coalition identified tax priorities that can help drive walkable, mixed-use development while reducing barriers to the projects communities need.

Read more in this blog by Kennedy O'Dell: https://lnkd.in/eTdGtUet

From fixing the tax code’s bias toward greenfield development to expanding incentives for redevelopment, there’s an opportunity to align policy with smart growth goals.

This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn

03/20/2025

Our National Complete Streets Coalition works to ensure the integration of people and place in the planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of transportation networks.

Whether you're a long-time supporter or just finding the Coalition, we'd love for you to fill out our form so we can continue to build our movement together!

Fill out the interest form here ➡️ https://smartgrowthamerica.org/declare-your-support-join-the-national-complete-streets-coalition/

Now is the time to keep the momentum for the movement going. We hope you'll join us!

The National Complete Streets Coalition invites current and future members to pledge their support for the coalition’s mission, values, and outcomes we’re working to achieve. Let us know that you’re on board to support our efforts to integrate people and place in the planning, design, construc...

03/18/2025

In partnership with our National Brownfields Coalition, we wrote a letter of support for the reintroduction of the Brownfields Redevelopment Tax Incentive Reauthorization Act. This bill, introduced by Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ-11) and Rep. Michael Turner (R-OH-10), will allow taxpayers to fully deduct the cleanup costs of contaminated property in the year the costs were incurred.

See the list of almost 100 organizations who showed their support, and take action to support his powerful tool that will transform brownfield sites into places that can thrive 👇
https://smartgrowthamerica.org/nearly-100-organizations-show-their-support-for-the-brownfields-redevelopment-tax-incentive-reauthorization-act/

Restoring this tax credit is long overdue. We thank Rep. Sherrill and Rep. Turner for their continued efforts in advocating for the passage of this bill.

The National Brownfields Coalition, with support from roughly 90 organizations, put together a letter in support of the reintroduction of the Brownfields Redevelopment Tax Incentive Reauthorization Act (H.R. 815). This bill, introduced by Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ-11) and Rep. Michael Turner (R-OH-1...

03/17/2025

Kentucky has been hard at work with implementing projects that support safe, healthy, and resilient communities.

That’s why we’re building on their efforts our Complete Streets Leadership Academy!

Learn more:
https://smartgrowthamerica.org/2025-complete-streets-leadership-academy-launches-in-kentucky-this-spring/

Our Academy empowers local jurisdictions to improve road safety through tailored technical assistance and action planning to address their community’s road safety concerns. We’re looking forward to designing and implementing innovative Complete Streets strategies together!

If you’re based in KY or know of people in the state that are doing this work, we’d love your help spreading the word, and we’d love to connect you with the leaders in our Academy. Comment below so we can get in touch!

The Complete Streets Leadership Academy is coming to Kentucky. This foundational program helps train local agencies and state Departments of Transportation to collaborate, innovate, and commit to making changes together to address road safety and create activity-friendly communities. Building on Ken...

03/06/2025

Cities have the challenge of finding ways to promote economic growth without pushing out historic small businesses that shape local culture.

More and more, we’re seeing positive examples from planners, policymakers, and advocates across the country who are implementing innovative strategies for economic development while preserving community culture.

Read more in this blog from our Director of Research, Michael A. Rodriguez, PhD ⤵️

Today, local planners, policymakers, and community advocates across the country face the challenge of promoting economic development while ensuring that small-scale retailers—and the community culture they provide—continue to thrive. Drawing on examples from various cities—including insights f...

03/05/2025

Our Center for Zoning solutions has a new Zoning for Equitable Solutions and Thriving Communities (ZEST) technical assistance program! This free program is for community-based organizations working to advance health equity in their communities. Applications are due by March 31, 2025 at 5 p.m. EST.

Learn more and apply: https://smartgrowthamerica.org/program-launch-zoning-for-equitable-solutions-and-thriving-communities-technical-assistance-program/

ZEST will support community-based organizations (CBO) in their efforts to change local land use rules, improve health in their communities, and advance their mission-driven work. If you or someone you know works for a CBO working in, with, and for BIPOC communities to reduce health inequities AND you are interested in how zoning and land use decisions can be advanced to solve health inequities, we invite you to apply to participate in ZEST!

The Center for Zoning Solutions (CZS) is excited to announce the launch of the Zoning for Equitable Solutions and Thriving Communities (ZEST) technical assistance program. This free program directly supports community-based organizations working to change health inequities by supporting them through...

03/04/2025

Our Culture and Community Network is a seven-month technical assistance and peer learning program for MPOs, RTPOs, and state DOTs interested in arts and culture strategies for creative and effective community engagement.

Learn more and express interest:
https://smartgrowthamerica.org/express-your-interest-in-the-culture-and-community-network-ta-program/

National experts will support participants in a collaborative and supportive environment. The goal of this program is to help participants to develop an action plan specific to their own agencies and initiatives.

Let us know if you're interested by March 14!

About the Culture and Community Network The Culture and Community Network is a technical assistance and peer learning program designed to help staff at MPOs, RTPOs, and state DOTs assess, design, and begin implementation of arts and culture strategies for community engagement within their agencies.....

03/03/2025

We're looking for a graphic designer to help us with our upcoming Best Complete Streets Policies report!

Learn more about this opportunity ⤵️
https://smartgrowthamerica.org/request-for-proposals-best-complete-streets-policies-report-graphic-designer/

We need someone with the skills to:
📰 Layout and format approximately 20-30 pages of unformatted text
📔 Design of a cover illustration
📊 Graphics to illustrate key findings

The deadline to apply is 3/19. We're looking forward to hearing from you!

Smart Growth America (SGA) is seeking an experienced individual or firm to provide design and graphic support for the 2025 edition of our Best Complete Streets Policies report. Proposals should be submitted to Dustin Robertson at [email protected] by 03/19/25 at 11:59 PM ET. Project....

02/27/2025

We're excited to announce another mainstage panel at this year's Equity Summit! The Road to reconnections: Turning Reconnecting Communities plans into progress mainstage will take a look at the inaugural Reconnecting Communities Program.

Get your tickets and attend the panel ⤵️
https://smartgrowthamerica.org/equity-summit/

Our team at Transportation For America will be answering the question of whether or not the program achieved what it set out. Join us for a conversation about what it really takes to mend the disconnections caused by transportation infrastructure decisions.

The 2025 Equity Summit: Building Forward will be held on March 26-27, 2025, at the MLK Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, DC.

02/26/2025

Our Equity Summit is just a few weeks away! We’re excited to share what’s in store, including a mainstage panel on zoning reform.

Learn more and grab your tickets:
https://smartgrowthamerica.org/equity-summit/

America faces compounding housing access and affordability crises. Addressing these challenges requires action at the federal, state, and local levels to overcome obstacles that have been decades—if not a century—in the making.

Zoning reform is a powerful tool to get more people into homes in the right places. Yet, zoning reform efforts face resistance and misunderstanding when introduced in communities.

Our panel, Community-led zoning reform: Changing hearts, minds, and policies, aims to tackle these issues head-on. Join us to learn more about best strategies to advance zoning reform for more housing at local and state levels.

The 2025 Equity Summit: Building Forward will be held on March 26-27, 2025, at the MLK Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, DC.