On June 16, 2009, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a new partnership to help American families in all communities–rural, suburban and urban–gain better access to affordable housing, more transportation options, and lower transportation costs. The partnership between the three agencies, titled the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, will work together to ensure that these housing and transportation goals are met while simultaneously protecting the environment, promoting equitable development, and helping to address the challenges of climate change.
ContextSensitiveSolutions.org is serving as a comprehensive source of information about the Partnership for Sustainable Communities and related USDOT programs:
On September 24th, 2009, the CSS website hosted an online forum between high-level USDOT officials and the CSS community. The online forum was the first national dialog on the new interagency partnership. A recording of the webinar is now available.
We have posted other recently developed documents on livability and the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, and will continue to be a primary source for the most current information on this issue.
Our discussion forum is host to a diverse group of practitioners and advocates who are discussing the new Partnership and federal, state, and local policies that affect livability.
The following link is to a transcript of the Q+A from the CSS Forum on Livability. The forum was viewed by several hundred key stakeholders, including practitioners, academics, and consultants, to name a few. Their questions covered issues such as investment and implementation of future livability programs, USDOTs outreach program in respect to the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, and the role of DOTs and MPOs in implementing sustainability policy, to name a few. The Questions were answered by high-ranking officials from the office's of the Office of the Secretary, FHWA, and FTA.
Transit-oriented development (TOD) is increasingly recognized as having the potential to improve the quality of life for American households, by creating vibrant, livable communities in proximity to transit. Improved access to transit can reduce transportation costs for working families and mitigate the negative impacts of automobile travel on the environment and the economy.
The need for a mix of housing types that is affordable to a range of family incomes in proximity to transit is an important policy concern at all levels of government, including the federal government. Through its policies and investments, the federal government can help shape opportunities at the regional and local level to meet the growing demand for affordable housing near transit.
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HUD, DOT and EPA Partnership: Sustainable Communities
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan, U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Ray LaHood, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson have announced a new partnership to help American families in all communities–rural, suburban and urban–gain better access to affordable housing, more transportation options, and lower transportation costs. The unprecedented interagency agreement, covered in this press release, is to implement joint housing and transportation initiatives. With EPA joining the partnership, the three agencies will work together to ensure that these housing and transportation goals are met while simultaneously protecting the environment, promoting equitable development, and helping to address the challenges of climate change.
The Transportation Planning Capacity Building Program (opens in a new window)
The Transportation Planning Capacity Building (TPCB) Program is a collaborative effort of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) with various public and private organizations. Broadly speaking, it exists to help state and local transportation staff meet their complex political, social, economic, and environmental demands. On a practical level, the TPCB Program provides information, training, and technical assistance to help transportation professionals create plans and programs that respond to the needs of the many users of their local transportation systems.
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Center for Transit-Oriented Development (opens in a new window)
The Center for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) is the only national nonprofit effort dedicated to providing best practices, research and tools to support market-based transit-oriented development. We partner with both the public and private sectors to strategize about ways to encourage the development of high-performing TOD projects around transit stations and to build transit systems that maximize the development potential.
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National Transit Institute (opens in a new window)
The National Transit Institute’s mission is to provide training, education, and clearinghouse services in support of public transportation and quality of life in the United States.
We identify needs; we promote, develop, and deliver high quality programs and materials through cooperative partnerships with industry, government, institutions, and associations; and we serve as a catalyst for enhancing skills and performance in public transportation.
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Building Livable Communities with Transit: Planning, Developing, and Implementing Community-Sensitive Transit
Across the country, communities are becoming actively involved in enhancing the connections between transit and local quality of life. This is being accomplished by locating development near transit stops and stations so that walking to and from these facilities requires little effort. Better connections between different modes of transportation are making it easier to transfer from one transportation mode to another.
This booklet presents some fo the successes – in terms of planning, development, and implementation – of the community-sensitive transportation facility development process. By applying the techniques outlined in this booklet, transportation agencies, metropolitan planning organizations, local governments, and communities can help achieve transportation goals beyond "asphalt, concrete, and steel."
