Partnership for Sustainable Communities

Transportation System Management and Operations to Support Livability

This recent Federal Highway Administration report is now available online. The paper describes nine key elements for managing and operating transportation systems in ways that support livability and sustainability, and a vision of how the regional transportation system could look in the future if strategies were implemented.

Read the report online here

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What's your vision for the future of your community?

Join the Smart Growth Network (SGN) in the first national conversation about how neighborhoods could be planned, designed, and developed to meet the needs of current and future generations. Seeking new ideas from both old and new voices—submit your paper by June 30th, 2012.Come Join the Conversation here.

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Lessons Learned from the Partnership for Sustainable Communities Brownfields Pilots

In February 2010, the Partnership selected five brownfields pilot projects in Boston, Denver, Indianapolis, Iowa City, and National City. Through technical assistance with these projects, EPA has created a fact sheet that describes approaches and "lessons learned" that could be helpful in developing successful Partnership projects.

The fact sheets and materials are available here.

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Introducing the Know your Farmer, Know your Food Compass

Launched in 2009, the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Initiative has been working with the USDA’s 17 agencies to coordinate USDA’s work and investments in local and regional food system. The Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Compass now allows you to easily navigate the stories of USDA’s work in local and regional food systems, and will spur ideas for how to build stronger local and regional food opportunities in your community. Read more here.

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DOT launched a state-by-state map of transportation facts, comparisons, and rankings online.

The map includes data on infrastructure, fatalities and injuries, economy and finance, and energy and environment.

To get started, select a state here.

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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