The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has chosen eight communities to receive technical assistance on sustainable growth and development issues through the Smart Growth Assistance Program. The pilot projects will help local governments address infrastructure constraints, protect water quality, set development standards, and create options for housing and transportation.

The projects will be based in Washington, DC; Saginaw, MI; Wheat Ridge, CO; Chicago; Salt Lake City; Concord, NH; Cumberland and Cobb counties, Georgia; and statewide in Rhode Island.

EPA will work in collaboration with its partners at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and DOT.  The effort is part of the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, which brings together the three agencies to coordinate federal actions on housing, transportation, and environmental protection and achieve efficient federal investments in infrastructure, facilities, and services that meet multiple economic, environmental, and community objectives.

“EPA is building partnerships with communities from across the country—in rural, suburban, and urban areas—to help them develop in ways that are environmentally sustainable and economically resilient,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “This assistance will help local residents protect their health and the environment, all while strengthening their ability to attract new businesses and new jobs.”

The smart growth assistance projects will focus on key topics central to the partnership’s work, such as cross-departmental coordination of sustainability policies; cities undergoing economic transition; infrastructure financing; historic preservation as part of downtown revitalization; and incorporating climate change adaptation as part of long-term plans.

More information on the Smart Growth Assistance Program is available online.

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