ASLA Oregon

February 16, 2011 Edit

Opportunity: Sustainable Communities Building Blocks Program

Opportunity: Sustainable Communities Building Blocks Program
Submit your Letter of Interest to EPA

Many communities around the country are asking for tools and resources to help them achieve their desired development goals, improve the quality of life for their residents, and make their communities more economically and environmentally sustainable. In response to this demand, EPA developed the Sustainable Communities Building Blocks Program.

The Sustainable Communities Building Blocks Program seeks to provide quick, targeted technical assistance to 20 communities using a variety of tools that have demonstrated results and widespread application. This technical assistance will help selected local and/or tribal governments to implement development approaches that protect the environment, improve public health, create jobs, expand economic opportunity, and improve overall quality of life.

Each technical assistance project in a community will include:

* Public engagement — for example, a one-day workshop that is open to the general public.
* Direct consultation with relevant decision-makers.
* A memo outlining specific steps the community could take if it wants to implement the ideas generated during the site visit.

Among the tools that will be used are zoning code reviews, walkability assessments, parking policy analysis, climate action planning, commuter benefits, complete streets, and fiscal and economic tools.

Landscape architects are well positioned use your expertise to help your communities. We urge you to have your community submit a short letter of interest on or before February 23, 2011.

To learn more see the Letter for Requests from the EPA Office of Smart Growth

New to the ASLA Advocacy Network? Join us on February 24 at 1:00 PM EDT for a brief training session. Stay tuned for more information.

For more on ASLA Advocacy
asla.org/advocacy