Partnership

Partnership in the News: Technical Assistance for Simsbury, Connecticut

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Simsbury, Connecticut is one of six New England towns soon to benefit from a technical assistance grant through the Environmental Protection Agency’s Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities Program, reports the Simsbury Patch.

“The EPA is going to send in a private firm to assess things like walkability, such as sidewalks, street crossings and parking,” said Hiram Peck, Simsbury’s Town Planner.

The technical experts will work with the communities on actions they can take to improve the economy, the environment, and quality of life.

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Partnership for Sustainable Communities Web Briefing

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Join us Thursday, February 16th at 3:00 PM ET to hear from the senior leadership of the Department of Transportation, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Environmental Protection Agency for a briefing on the federal Partnership for Sustainable Communities.

Beth Osborne (DOT), Shelley Potichia (HUD), and Tim Torma (EPA) will talk about the President’s 2013 Budget, outline the work that each Partnership agency plans to do in the upcoming year, and give an update on grants and programs.

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Partnership in the News: Millis Undertakes Study to Spur Development

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The Town of Millis, Massachusetts is soon to benefit from a portion of the $4 million Department of Housing and Urban Development Regional Planning grant awarded to the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, reports the Milford Daily News.

To help spur development of the town center, Millis will participate in a feasibility study with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council to encourage new housing and business opportunities.

Millis is hoping to create a “more vibrant” downtown area, and applied for the study in August, said Town Administrator Charles Aspinwall.

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Spotlight on Sustainability: Columbia, TN

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The heart of Columbia, Tennessee lies along a highway and commercial corridor; the James Campbell Boulevard. It was built at the city’s peak when demand was high for retail space and office buildings, but in the past several decades the needs of the City have changed. With the third slowest growth rate in the state of Tennessee, Columbia is in decline. It has the highest unemployment rate of any city of its size in the state and 20 percent of the population living below the poverty line. Not only has Columbia failed to attract new residents, with more and more families choosing to settle in neighboring Middle Tennessee cities, but the city is losing the young millennial generation, that many recognize as key to attracting local investments and maintaining a vibrant economy.

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Partnership in the News: Erie County Prime For Economic Development Plan

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An editorial in the Erie-Times News details an exciting planning process about to begin in Erie County, NY. With the help of a $1.8 million Department of Housing and Urban Development Regional Planning grant, the country will undertake the creation of a new Master Plan in order to:

…add jobs, improve housing, provide better transportation service and, in general, spark economic development.

Barbara Chaffee, the [Erie] Regional Chamber’s president, promises that the plan will be “actionable.” In other words, there will be specifics about such issues as public transportation, job training, education and government efficiency that can be put in place. “It gives us an opportunity to redefine ourselves,” says Chaffee.

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U.S. Transportation Secretary LaHood Announces Fourth Round of Funding Under Highly Successful TIGER Program

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Today, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced the availability of funding for transportation projects under a fourth round of the popular TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) Discretionary Grant program. TIGER 2012 will make $500 million available for surface transportation projects having a significant impact on the nation, a metropolitan area, or region.

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Secretary Donovan Kicks off 2012 with a Sustainable Communities Call

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On January 20, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan hosted a call which he began by reaffirming HUD’s commitment to the the Sustainable Communities Initiative. Secretary Donovan emphasized the vast impact the Regional Planning and Community Challenge grant programs have had across the country and noted the range of communities that received grants, many of which were … Continued

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Partnership in the News: High School Initiative Turns Into Community Effort For Howard, South Dakota

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What began as a high school study of the local economy in Howard, South Dakota has turned into a community revitalization effort that has sparked growth again in a declining rural community, reports an article published today in the Daily Yonder.

After nearly 15 years of work, Howard has become a poster child of community resolve. And it all began at the high school, building on an imaginative and intensely practical assignment…The town had lost nearly a hundred local businesses between 1960 and 1999. Farm production was declining. And young people, without prospects, were moving away.

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Partnership in the News: Three Illinois Mayors Praise Regional Multimodal Station

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Alton Mayor Tom Hoechst, Godfrey Mayor Mike McCormick, and Grafton Mayor Tom Thompson addressed economic development in each of their communities at a RiverBend Growth Association event this week, reports The Telegraph.

Among the many exciting initiatives, Mayor Hoechst spoke about the immense economic benefits that the $14 million dollar Alton Multimodal Station, funded by a Department of Transportation TIGER grant, will bring to the region.

Hoechst said the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or TIGER, grant would help boost the economy, and not just in Alton. Some 65 million people travel by rail and the improvements to the system would allow more people to come to town.

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Partnership in the News: Houston-Galveston Residents Shape Their Future

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An article posted by Houston’s Atascocita Observer reports on an unprecedented effort in the 13-county, Houston-Galveston area to shape the future of the region based on recommendations from residents, the business community, the local government, and others gathered through a series of meetings.

More than 6 million people now live in the region and as many as 4 million new people could live in the 13-county area by 2040. This two year planning project is the first step in answering questions such as “Where will those residents live?” “How will they move around the region?” and “How will change affect quality of life?”

Over the next two months residents will have an opportunity to give their feedback on what they think are the most pressing issues facing their communities and the region overall and share their hopes for what a better tomorrow may look like.

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