Rural Public Transportation Strategies for Responding to the Livable and Sustainable Communities Initiative

Rural Public Transportation Strategies for Responding to the Livable and Sustainable Communities Initiative PDF

Author: Kathleen Rooney

Publisher: Transportation Research Board

Published: 2012

Total Pages: 24

ISBN-13: 0309258227

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

This digest summarizes key findings of research performed under NCHRP Project 20-65, Task 42, Rural Public Transportation Strategies for Responding to the Livable and Sustainable Communities Initiative, by ICF International. For the study, ICF conducted a nationwide survey of state departments of transportation (DOTs) and their rural livability activities; conducted follow-up interviews about grants from the Partnership for Sustainable Communities (PSC); and created a primer highlighting strategies that state DOTs, transit operators, and their partners can use to help rural organizations applying for discretionary grant programs. The strategies discussed in the primer are: (1) Building awareness of PSC resources and livability in rural communities; (2) Providing programmatic and financial support; (3) Creating statewide or regional partnerships; and (4) Encouraging transit coordination at the regional level.

Transportation and Sustainable Campus Communities

Transportation and Sustainable Campus Communities PDF

Author: Will Toor

Publisher:

Published: 2004-04

Total Pages: 320

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Colleges and universities across North America are facing difficult questions about automobile use and transportation. Lack of land for new parking lots and the desire to preserve air quality are but a few of the factors leading institutions toward a new vision based upon expanded transit access, better bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and incentives that encourage less driving. Transportation and Sustainable Campus Communities presents a comprehensive examination of techniques available to manage transportation in campus communities. Authors Will Toor and Spenser W. Havlick give readers the understanding they need to develop alternatives to single-occupancy vehicles, and sets forth a series of case studies that show how transportation demand management programs have worked in a variety of campus communities, ranging from small towns to large cities. The case studies in Transportation and Sustainable Campus Communities highlight what works and what doesn't, as well as describing the programmatic and financial aspects involved. No other book has surveyed the topic and produced viable options for reducing the parking, pollution, land use, and traffic problems that are created by an over-reliance on automobiles by students, faculty, and staff. Transportation and Sustainable Campus Communities is a unique source of information and ideas for anyone concerned with transportation planning and related issues.

The Sustainable Communities Initiative, Meaningful Engagement and Placemaking

The Sustainable Communities Initiative, Meaningful Engagement and Placemaking PDF

Author: Sarah M. Emmel

Publisher:

Published: 2016

Total Pages: 126

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

As sustainable development policies encourage public transportation expansions, including light rail lines, urban neighborhoods, low income and other underrepresented communities struggle with associated rising rents and costs of living. This dynamic was in full effect in the Frogtown and Rondo neighborhoods of Saint Paul Minnesota, during the planning and construction of the Central Corridor light rail line. This case study examines how a federal program, the Sustainable Communities Initiative, helped to address concerns about gentrification at the local level, in part, by creating capacity and opportunities for community-led placemaking activities. The Central Corridor planning process in these neighborhoods was analyzed through an examination of state and city policies, observation of placemaking activities, and interviews with community members and planners involved with Central Corridor development, engagement efforts, and the SCI grant. The results showed that the meaningful community engagement and collaborative practices mandated by the SCI program within the context of Frogtown and Rondo helped to create and improve 11 resources, communication, and capacity within the neighborhoods, which led to self-defined responses to strong fears of displacement. However, since the program was not institutionalized within the state and local processes, these gains showed signs of receding after the completion of the light rail line construction. These findings highlight the value of community-set priorities and decision-making as they relate to mitigating the effects of gentrification caused by major development projects. They also illustrate a structure for better-balanced sustainable planning that elevates equity to a more level footing with economic development and environmental protection.