News

In This Issue

• Federal policy ask: Appropriations
• Reminder: Climate/transportation report release
• Reminder: Did you receive a grant from the Partnership?
• Tapping your expertise: We’re looking for examples of local investments funds
• Internal SGA Update: New logo, new website coming in 2011
• Featured Resource: Smart Growth and Economic Prosperity Sourcebook

Federal policy ask of the week: Appropriations
Please ask your member of Congress and their staff to support FY11 and FY12 funding for the Sustainable Communities Partnership programs at EPA, USDOT, and HUD. Here are talking points, a sample letter to the House and the Senate and a comparison between the House and Senate proposals.

Reminder: Climate/transportation report release
SGA and NRDC’s forthcoming report, “On the Right Track? Climate Change and State Transportation Policy.” will be released on Tuesday, December 14. We have developed template materials including a sample press release, blog post, email blast for your members and report talking points which are intended to be customized for your state and organization. We’ll be having a telebriefing for reporters at 11 AM on the 14th and we will send you all a media advisory to use in the lead up to the event.

If you are interested in seeing full report, executive summary or release materials, please contact Rayla Bellis.

Reminder: Did you receive a grant from the Partnership?
So far, we’ve received more than 150 responses to the survey about the Partnership for Sustainable Communities grants. These include 35 grant recipients, 50 grant applicants, and 65 respondents who plan to apply in the future. We’re still accepting more surveys! if you have a minute, please pass along this Sustainable Communities Grant survey to others in your network or take it yourself. Thanks!

Need examples of local investment funds
We are looking for examples of localities with investment funds – either funded through public $ or private $ (where businesses have come together to put money into one pot). We’re looking mostly for redevelopment funds of some kind for the downtown, but it can be for surrounding neighborhoods as well.

We are familiar with Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, NYC, and Cleveland, but are having a hard time finding others. Please send all tips to Ilana – we want to learn from these examples to see if we can help other places get a fund in place.

Internal Update: New logo, new website coming in 2011
Smart Growth America is planning to do some smart growth of our own. We’re going to be introducing a new logo and a new website in early 2011. We hope these new resources will help us be an even better advocate for smart growth at the national level and we welcome your feedback, questions and suggestions over the coming weeks.

Featured Resource: Smart Growth and Economic Prosperity Sourcebook
The economic benefits of smart growth are broad and deep. The experience of communities across the country, urban to rural, shows that smart growth directly reduces public costs, improves rates of return for public and private investors, and avoids the expensive environmental, health and social equity costs of sprawl.This overwhelming evidence is only helpful if we can put it to work when we need it. The goal of this Sourcebook is to help you do that. See the website for more info. For an example for how to put this information to work, check out New Jersey Future’s blog.