About Us
Overview
On June 16, 2009, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) joined together to help communities nationwide improve access to affordable housing, increase transportation options, and lower transportation costs while protecting the environment.
The Partnership for Sustainable Communities works to coordinate federal housing, transportation, water, and other infrastructure investments to make neighborhoods more prosperous, allow people to live closer to jobs, save households time and money, and reduce pollution. The partnership agencies incorporate six principles of livability into federal funding programs, policies, and future legislative proposals.
Livability Principles
Provide more transportation choices.
Develop safe, reliable, and economical transportation choices to decrease household transportation costs, reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign oil, improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and promote public health.
Promote equitable, affordable housing.
Expand location- and energy-efficient housing choices for people of all ages, incomes, races, and ethnicities to increase mobility and lower the combined cost of housing and transportation.
Enhance economic competitiveness.
Improve economic competitiveness through reliable and timely access to employment centers, educational opportunities, services and other basic needs by workers, as well as expanded business access to markets.
Support existing communities.
Target federal funding toward existing communities—through strategies like transit-oriented, mixed-use development and land recycling—to increase community revitalization and the efficiency of public works investments and safeguard rural landscapes.
Coordinate and leverage federal policies and investment.
Align federal policies and funding to remove barriers to collaboration, leverage funding, and increase the accountability and effectiveness of all levels of government to plan for future growth, including making smart energy choices such as locally generated renewable energy.
Value communities and neighborhoods.
Enhance the unique characteristics of all communities by investing in healthy, safe, and walkable neighborhoods—rural, urban, or suburban.
Achievements
Since 2009, HUD, DOT, and EPA have been coordinating their work to help communities around the country better meet their housing, transportation, and environmental goals—laying the groundwork for an economy that provides good jobs now and creates a strong foundation for long-term prosperity. In June 2012, the Partnership agencies released a report “Three Years Helping Communities Achieve Their Visions for Growth and Prosperity” that describes accomplishments of the Partnership and the communities it serves on its third anniversary.
Below are a few of the Partnership agencies’ recent accomplishments.
Governor’s Institute on Community Design
In July 2012, the Partnership agencies announced support for the Governors’ Institute on Community Design to provide enhanced technical guidance to governors seeking to tackle housing, transportation, environmental, and health challenges facing their states. Established in 2005, the Governors’ Institute brings together leading practitioners and academics in government, design, development, and regional economics to help governors and their state executive teams make informed choices about growth and development in their states. More information on the Governors’ Institute is available at: http://www.govinstitute.org
White House Forum on Sustainable Communities
On the three year anniversary of the Partnership in June 2012, the Partnership convened more than 50 local government and business leaders to discuss how to best integrate the administration’s sustainability efforts with job creation. The White House blog covered the Partnership anniversary event.
Partnership Celebrates Three Years of Accomplishments
In June 2012, the Partnership released a report describing accomplishments of the Partnership and the communities it serves on its third anniversary. Partnership Three Years Helping Communities Achieve Their Visions for Growth and Prosperity. (PDF 20p 4.27MB) A case study database was also launched with many of the case studies from the report.
Supporting Sustainable Rural Communities
In November 2011, the Partnership Agencies and USDA developed a Supporting Sustainable Rural Communities report (PDF 52p 3MB) to highlight federal programs available to assist rural America. The report features case studies showcasing rural accomplishments, sample funding and technical assistance opportunities, and performance measures rural communities can use to assess their progress. The report is the Partnership’s first publication on public policy.
Sustainable Communities Grant Announcements
In October 2010, the Partnership for Sustainable Communities announced a series of grants or other assistance totaling $409.5 million in funding to support livability investments in over 200 communities across the country. The grants were highlighted in a joint press conference at the National Press Club on October 21st with Melody Barnes, Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council.
- HUD and DOT Award $68 Million to Create Sustainable Livable Communities
- DOT Secretary LaHood Announces More Than 70 Innovative Transportation Projects Competitively Funded Under TIGER II
- EPA to Provide Technical Assistance on Sustainable Growth and Development
- EPA Awards $4 Million For Brownfields
- HUD Awards Nearly $100 Million in New Grants to Promote Smarter and Sustainable Planning for Jobs and Economic Growth
Sustainable Communities Research Roundtable
In September 2010, the Partnership hosted a research roundtable with Virginia Tech’s Metropolitan Institute to develop policy research priorities for sustainable communities (Exit Disclaimer). The researchers discussed how to make housing more accessible, affordable, and energy-efficient and how to help older, distressed communities revitalize in an environmentally responsible way.
One Year Accomplishments Report
In its first year, the Partnership for Sustainable Communities made strides
toward its goals by targeting resources to help communities strengthen their
economies by developing more sustainably, removing regulatory and policy barriers
to make it easier for state and local governments to access federal resources,
and aligning the agencies' policies and priorities. Progress on these initiatives
is described in more detail in the Partnership
for Sustainable Communities: A Year of Progress for American Communities (PDF
16p 1.84MB) report.
Recommendations for the Sustainable Siting of Federal Facilities
In April 2010, the Partnership agencies worked with the General Services Administration, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Homeland Security to develop recommendations for the sustainable siting of federal facilities in response to President Obama’s Executive Order 13514 (PDF 15p 87.04KB). These recommendations will help agencies use energy more efficiently, reduce pollution, and strengthen the surrounding communities. The Partnership also hosted an online webinar (PDF 34p 7.13MB) to review the recommendations and answer questions about their implementation.
Sustainable Communities Tour
In September 2009, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan, DOT Secretary Ray LaHood, EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, and then-White House Urban Affairs Director Adolfo Carrión embarked on a Sustainable Communities Tour to hear from leaders on the ground about ways the Partnership could help communities create more economic opportunities and affordable homes while protecting their air and water. The agency leaders visited several projects that exemplify the types of places the Partnership wants to support:
- Chicago’s Bethel Center is a new community services hub in a green building on a former brownfield. It is located next to a train station and has affordable homes nearby.
- Dubuque, Iowa, is transforming its historic Millwork District into a sustainable neighborhood with a mix of uses, housing options for a range of income levels, transportation options, and infrastructure improvements.
- Denver has refurbished its historic Union Station to make it a multimodal transit hub that has helped revitalize the surrounding area. Also in Denver, South Lincoln Park Homes built new affordable housing on a former brownfield near a transit station.
Joint Testimony to Senate Banking Committee
On June 16, 2009, EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson (PDF 13p 44.17KB), DOT Secretary Ray LaHood (PDF 10p 56.46KB), and HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan (PDF 9p 58.74KB) testified before the Senate Banking Committee. During the hearing (Video) they announced the Partnership for Sustainable Communities.
Priority Areas of Focus for 2012
In 2012, the Partnership for Sustainable Communities will focus on three priority areas (PDF 1p 359KB) in order to move forward implementing the Livability Principles and continuing to build on work already underway.
Share Models of Local Successes
The Partnership helps communities as they work to envision and implement local development that supports a strong economy and a clean environment. This year, the Partnership will work with communities to help them share stories of their successes. These stories will serve as models for other communities that want to be healthy, competitive, and affordable.
Continue Coordination to Make Government Work Better
The Partnership will continue to coordinate federal investments to get better results for communities and use taxpayer money more efficiently. We will offer joint training programs to help regional staff from the Partnership agencies have the knowledge and skills to support sustainable cities, suburbs, and rural areas. Our agencies will continue to work together to align guidelines and planning requirements for state and local governments and to coordinate federal investments made in the same community.
Help Communities Solve Problems
The Partnership will help communities succeed by providing technical assistance and tools, building the capacity of state and local partners, and giving communities better access to national networks and resources. The agencies will also test and refine performance measures that can help communities assess progress toward their goals and build on their successes.
Livability means being able to take your kids to school, go to work, see a doctor, drop by the grocery or post office, go out to dinner and a movie, and play with your kids at the park, all without having to get into your car. Livability means building the communities that help Americans live the lives they want to live—whether those communities are urban centers, small towns, or rural areas.—Secretary Ray LaHood
U.S. Department of Transportation
