Smart Growth Technical Assistance Programs
EPA offers the following technical assistance to help communities learn about and implement smart growth approaches:
- Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities – One- to two-day, targeted technical assistance to give communities tools to implement smart growth development approaches. Eligible applicants are tribal, county, and local governments, and nonprofit organizations that have the support of the local government on whose behalf they are applying.
- Cool & Connected – Helps rural communities use broadband service to revitalize main streets and promote economic development. Any community representative can apply.
- Governors' Institute on Community Design – Helps governors help their states develop in an environmentally sound, economically sustainable way. States are eligible to apply.
- Greening America's Communities – Helps selected cities and towns envision and implement design strategies for more sustainable communities. In 2016, the program is being offered to cities that are participating in EPA's Making a Visible Difference in Communities initiative or the Strong Cities, Strong Communities initiative. Formerly called Greening America's Capitals.
- Healthy Places for Healthy People – Helps communities create walkable, healthy, economically vibrant places by engaging with their health care facility partners such as community health centers (including Federally Qualified Health Centers), nonprofit hospitals, and other health care facilities. Eligible applicants include local government representatives, health care facilities, local health departments, nonprofit organizations, tribes, and others proposing to work in a neighborhood, town, or city anywhere in the United States.
- Local Foods, Local Places – Helps communities develop and implement action plans that promote local foods and downtown revitalization. Representatives of communities anywhere in the United States are eligible to apply. This program builds on the Livable Communities in Appalachia Program, which offered technical assistance to help small towns and rural communities in Appalachia revitalize their traditional downtowns to boost the local economy and improve quality of life.
- Smart Growth Implementation Assistance – Works with public-sector entities that want to incorporate smart growth techniques into their development. As of 2015, EPA's regional staff identifies and selects communities to assist. Summaries and reports from past SGIA projects can be helpful to communities facing similar issues.
- Smart Growth Implementation Assistance for Coastal Communities (inactive) – Program with Sea Grant universities to help communities develop in ways that meet environmental and other goals. This program is currently inactive, but the reports from past projects can be helpful to other communities.
- Special Smart Growth Technical Assistance Projects – Additional technical assistance projects done in partnership with other entities.