Sustainability, Smart Growth, Livability - WHAT? WHY?

"Sustainable Communities", "Smart Growth", and now "Livability". Phrases we're hearing more and more and will continue to. I don't know exactly how long we've been hearing them, but in doing some research, I found as early as 1998 with the Clinton-Gore Livability Agenda: Building Livable Communities For The 21st Century. If I did an intensive research, I'll bet I'd find these initiatives have been around much longer than that by a different way of communicating them, but the same meaning.

But why are they so important, and what do they mean? Their meanings are similar when it comes to transportation planning. Transportation is a critical link in creating more livable communities. It plays an important role in connecting affordable housing, good jobs, a safe and healthy environment, and strong schools, just to mention a few.

The US Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), look favorably on these initiatives regarding funds allocated for transportation planning. DOT's vision is "transportation policies that focus on people and communities who use the transportation system".

In June, 2009, the Partnership for Sustainable Communities was formed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), and the U.S. Environmental Protections Agency (EPA). These three agencies have pledged to ensure that housing and transportation goals are met while simultaneously protecting the environment, promoting equitable development, and helping to address the challenges of climate change.

Listed below are basic explanations of each along with websites containing more detailed information on each:

• Sustainable communities identify a more compact and mixed-use, with a range of transportation options, less sprawl and more compact, walkable communities. (The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Sustainability webpage; The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Livable and Sustainable Communities webpage)
• Smart growth is more town-centered, is transit and pedestrian oriented, and has a greater mix of housing, commercial and retail uses. It also preserves open space and many other environmental amenities. (EPA Smart Growth Guide; Smart Growth America website.
• Livability is tying the quality and location of transportation facilities to broader opportunities such as access to good jobs, affordable housing, quality schools, and safe streets. This includes addressing safety and capacity issues on all roads through better planning and design. (The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) DOT Livability website;The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Livability initiative website)

The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (Public Law 109-59; SAFETEA-LU) is a funding and authorization bill that governs federal surface transportation spending. It was signed into law on August 10, 2005 and will expire the end of 2010. Congress is expected to begin working on a replacement bill for the next six-year period soon.

In a press release in April of this year, The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) stated that DOT has indicated that livability is among the Administration's top priorities for future transportation funding. Soon it will be up to Congress to determine how "livability" will fit into the next multiyear transportation authorization legislation.

So you see, these phrases are here to stay and the initiatives behind them more than likely will become regulations for transportation funding. That's a good thing though. Just one more option on how to Florence County even better!