Taking the smart growth message to Capitol Hill 

Smart Growth America welcomed thirty other state and regional smart growth organizations from around the country to Washington, DC last week for their annual meeting. Collectively, they participated in thirty meetings throughout the Senate and House to share their priorities and request the support of their senators and representatives for the work these groups do to build strong communities that are great places to call home. 

Transit manufacturing supports jobs from coast to coast

Recent capital improvements made to just four transit systems — in San Francisco, Denver, Chicago, and Portland — supported jobs in an astounding 21 states. This new short paper from our Transportation for America program examines the supply chain for public transportation and illustrates how cuts proposed by Congress and the administration to federal transit funding threaten thousands of manufacturing jobs at more than 2,700 suppliers from coast to coast. Read the full report and find out which states and congressional districts are home to the most manufacturers.

Florida DOT hits a milestone in context-based street design 

If you've read our Dangerous by Design report, you know that Florida has long struggled with high numbers of pedestrian fatalities. But the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has taken some encouraging steps that could help. FDOT recently adopted eight context classifications to formalize the idea that within urban areas, roads serve different purposes and should be designed differently than in rural places. These classifications help planners and engineers determine whether an arterial roadway might need accommodations for pedestrians, bicycles, and transit users and whether it should have on-street parking, for example.

Our State Smart Transportation Initiative is hosting a webinar on November 28 with DeWayne Carver from the FDOT and Billy Hattaway from the City of Orlando to discuss these changes. Sign up today to learn about the new context classification approach, why FDOT developed it, and how it will guide roadway design decisions moving forward. Register now >>

Federal program that helps tackle health disparities threatened in ’18 budget

Congress is threatening to eliminate REACH, a small yet significant federal program housed within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that helps local communities take concrete steps to prevent someone’s zip code from being the most powerful determinant in their long-term health. Read more about the program from T4A and send a message of support today.

Complete Streets month starts later this week

And we have big news to share right off the bat: Beginning in 2018, we will be using a brand new framework to analyze and rank and evaluate the best Complete Streets policies in the country. Following up on our terrific Arts & Culture month in September, we'll be embarking on another thematic month, focusing on Complete Streets throughout November. We have a boatload of posts and stories queued up in November to explain this new policy framework and share some insights from the Steering Committee members who helped craft it.

Catch up with a plethora of recent SGA webinars

• Watch the recorded webinar from the LOCUS team on the many opportunities for transit-oriented development in Albuquerque, NM 
• Catch up with the launch webinar for our new national examination of creative placemaking in transportation
• Learn how the budget cuts proposed by Congress and the administration could have a dramatic impact on public transit in rural and smaller towns with our T4America team. 

Announcements

Smart Growth America is looking for a new director

Geoff Anderson, President and CEO of SGA, is stepping down in early 2018 after ten fruitful years at the helm.  Our Board of Directors is currently considering qualified candidates to provide national leadership for the smart growth movement and overall direction to the organization and its staff, ensure the organization’s fiscal health and administrative functions, and oversee the delivery of SGA programs and policies. If you are interested, please apply, or drop us a line if you know of someone we should consider for the position. 

New Director of Transportation for America

After a nationwide search, SGA is delighted to announce the hiring of Kevin Thompson as Director of Transportation for America. Kevin brings a wealth of transportation experience to T4America, previously serving as the director of communications & legislative affairs during the Obama administration for the Federal Railroad Administration. Earlier in his career, he spent time at the Chicago Transit Authority, directed the infrastructure sub-cabinet for former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, and worked as a planner for the City of Chicago. Read more about Kevin Thompson. 

LOCUS webinar: Financing for Projects that Don't Pencil Out

Join us for an exciting opportunity to learn about innovative ways to finance development projects. We'll be joined by Bob Stevens, P.E., CNU, LEED AP, who directs professionals to organize and guide business leaders, institutions, and communities to redevelop and revitalize main streets & downtowns. Register now >>

Registration is now open for Intersections: Creating Culturally Complete Streets. 

Join us in Nashville, TN on April 3-4, 2018 for mobile workshops, interactive panels and breakout discussions about cutting-edge Complete Streets and creative placemaking research, ideas, and practices. We're currently accepting session proposals. Take part in the movement and register today >>

Headlines

Stories being shared around the Smart Growth America office this week

• The end of urban freeways? (New York Times) 
• Sidewalk Labs is building its own waterfront city in Toronto (Next City) 
• Experts consider how to prepare for a world with automated vehicles  (Planetizen) 
• Massachusetts leaders take lessons on transit and growth from Seattle — a look at T4America's Seattle study tour with the Barr Foundation (Commonwealth Magazine) 
• Can we retrofit the suburbs for walkability and transit? (Metropolitan Planning Council) 

ON THE CALENDAR

Connect with SGA staff in all corners of the country: 

• November 2 – Mayor John Robert Smith at Railnation Chicago
• November 2-3 – Sarasota/Manatee MPO stakeholder workshop on neighborhood social services and the environment
• November 8 – Selected SGA & T4A staff at Creating Healthy Communities in Metropolitan Regions symposium in Atlanta GA
• November 9 – Ohio Transportation Leadership Academy in Columbus OH
• November 14-16 – Selected SGA staff at the second Amazing Place Ideas Forum in Greenville, SC
• November 14-15 – Selected T4America staff at the last 2017 Smart Cities Collaborative meeting in Los Angeles, CA
• November 16-17 – Safe Streets Academy in Orlando, FL
• November 28-29 – President & CEO Geoff Anderson speaking at Growing an Amazing City: Greensboro (NC)