Partnership for Sustainable Communities

EPA Recognizes Seven Communities for Smart Growth Achievement

On November 28, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized seven communities with its 2012 National Award for Smart Growth Achievement. The Smart Growth awards are given for creative, sustainable initiatives that better protect the health and the environment of our communities while also strengthening local economies.

Click here to read more about the 2012 National Award for Smart Growth Achievement winners.

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Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food

The Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Compass, hosted by USDA, now includes local food investments supported by ten different federal agencies. See what federal resources are at work integrating local food with sustainable communities in your area HERE.

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New Partners for Smart Growth Conference

Join us and smart growth professionals from around the country in Kansas City, MO, on February 7-9, 2013, for the 2013 New Partners for Smart Growth Conference. Don't miss the Equitable Development Pre-Conference Workshop on Feb. 6. Register today at www.newpartners.org.

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USDA Farmers Markets Grants

On Sept. 21, USDA announced over $9 million in grants to organizations across 39 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to initiatives that bolster the connection between agricultural producers and their consumers while improving access to healthy food and strengthening local economies.

Read more information about the projects here.

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EPA Partners with State Capitals on Green Design

On September 12, EPA announced the capital cities of Kentucky, Iowa, Louisiana, Montana and Indiana were awarded design assistance from EPA to create healthy, prosperous communities through green development. EPA’s Greening America’s Capitals program will help these capital cities stimulate economic development, provide more housing and transportation choices, and reduce infrastructure and energy costs.

Sustainable Communities

Sustainable communities are places that have a variety of housing and transportation choices, with destinations close to home. As a result, they tend to have lower transportation costs, reduce air pollution and stormwater runoff, decrease infrastructure costs, preserve historic properties and sensitive lands, save people time in traffic, be more economically resilient and meet market demand for different types of housing at different prices points. Rural, suburban, and urban communities can all use sustainable communities strategies and techniques to invest in healthy, safe and walkable neighborhoods, but these strategies will look different in each place depending on the community�s character, context, and needs.

Developing more sustainable communities is important to our national goals of strengthening our economy, creating good jobs now while providing a foundation for lasting prosperity, using energy more efficiently to secure energy independence, and protecting our natural environment and human health. Three federal agencies came together to create the Partnership for Sustainable Communities to help places around the country develop in more environmentally and economically sustainable ways. To guide its work, the Partnership developed six livability principles:

Provide more transportation choices.
Promote equitable, affordable housing.
Enhance economic competitiveness.
Support existing communities.
Coordinate and leverage federal policies and investment.
Value communities and neighborhoods.

White House Discussion with HUD, DOT, and EPA Representatives

-July 15, 2010