Abstract: In January of 1999, BellSouth, an Atlanta-based telecommunications corporation, announced that the company would close its scattered suburban offices and consolidate 10,500 employees at three locations on the MARTA rapid rail system. Although the decision was made purely for business reasons, it has been hailed locally and nationally as a case in which a company's enlightened self-interest also performed a valuable service for a region awash in traffic congestion and smog.

A number of American business leaders are beginning to recognize that sprawl can raise the cost of doing business and reduce long-term profitability.  Find out what they're up to:  http://www.sprawlwatch.org/economy.html
 
 

 = = = State and Local News = = =
Affordable Housing
Illinois
Attainable Housing Alliance fears that impact costs which pay for providing services, such as new sewage lines, streets and schools, to new areas of development only contribute to rising housing costs.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/metro/dupage/article/0,2669,SAV-0107180281,FF.html

Suburban Revitalization
California
Despite being home to 6 of the 53 named "boomburgs" of the recent Fannie Mae Study, Orange County has the infrastructure in place to turn their "boomburgs" into walkable communities. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/communities/la-000057118jul12.story

Transportation
California
Metropolitan Transit Authority study shows that future population increases threaten to slow traffic despite public transit projects aimed to take cars off the roads. 
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-071601jammed.story

Georgia
Georgia's planned transportation budget of $8.5 billion is twice current spending, 55% of which is going to be used for public transportation in an attempt to improve air quality. 
http://www.accessatlanta.com/partners/ajc/epaper/editions/monday/business_b325488252f410250062.html

Atlanta Regional Commission struggles to find unity among the counties, as each region pushes individualized agendas regarding the governor’s planned transportation budget of $8.5 billion.
http://www.accessatlanta.com/partners/ajc/epaper/editions/monday/business_b325485252f450b70032.html

Texas
The Car share program, currently offered in four American cities and maybe soon to arrive in Austin, provides a car at a per mile charge, to those who do not own a car, but sometimes need to use one. 
http://www.austin360.com/statesman/editions/monday/metro_state_3.html

Washington
The Seattle transit authority, Sound Transit, plans to build light rail to Rainier Valley have been thwarted by recent lawsuits to prevent the agency from contacting local citizens and building the rail underground.  The claim that the Rainier Valley line is victim to discrimination because of the socioeconomic status of those to be served by the line will go to court October 5.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/134318941_rail17m.html

Urban Infill
New England
New England planners see urban "greyfields" as mixed use, redevelopment sites with potential to evoke the feeling of Main Street.
http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/196/metro/Recycling_the_throwaway_strip_mall+.shtml

= = = National News = = =
Brownfield Legislation
Jeffords Officially Named Chair of Senate Environment Committee
Senator Jeffords, who recently left the Republican Party, is the primary sponsor of two new brownfields bills in the Senate, currently under consideration of his subcommittee. http://www.brownfields.com/newsletters/BF_071901.cfm#story1

Public Transportation
Across America numbers of riders on mass-transit continue to rise, with light rail in the lead with a 6.4% increase in riders from this time last year, according to statistics compiled from the American Public Transportation Association.
http://www.usnewswire.com/topnews/Current_Releases/0717-103.html
http://www.apta.com

Urban Economics
Cities and Their Suburbs Are Seen Growing as Units
In a push to increase federal funding in our nation's metropolitan areas, mayors from across the country were presented with a report, at the United States Conference of Mayors, revealing some amazing statistics regarding urban economic strength.
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/10/national/10CITI.html?searchpv=nytToday

= = = New Releases= = =
British Columbia Sprawl Report 2001
Beginning with a definition of smart growth, this first report released by Smart Growth BC, is an outline of the current situation facing the Canadian Province, and proposes a sustainable approach to future urban design and development.
http://www.smartgrowth.bc.ca/publications.html

"Smart Growth for Neighborhoods: Affordable Housing and Regional Vision" a new report released by the National Neighborhood Coalition identifies smart growth practices that will not drive up housing costs in metropolitan areas. To access it on NNC’s website, http://www.neighborhoodcoalition.org. For a copy of the report, email leah@neighborhoodcoalition.org.

“Changing Capital Markets and their Implications for Community Development Finance”
This paper released by the Brookings Institution’s Center on Urban and Metorpolitan Policy discusses how the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) industry will need to re-engineer, reposition, and re-tool itself in order to remain an effective conduit for the flow of capital to low-income communities.
http://www.brookings.edu/es/urban/capitalxchange/article5.htm

“Who Sprawls Most? How Growth Patterns Differ Across the U.S.” the Brookings Institution’s Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy latest report compares the density of growth in 282 metropolitan areas across America. William Fulton, Solimar Research Group and Rolf Pendall, Cornell University authors. http://www.brook.edu/es/urban/fulton-pendall.htm
http://www.arizonarepublic.com:80/news/articles/0709sprawl109.html

“Paycheck to Paycheck: Working Families and the Cost of Housing in America” a recently released report, by the National Housing Conference, is one more in a series of studies about the housing needs of the working class.  This issue describes the general numbers and characteristics of a working family in need of housing, and if they are able to pay reasonable costs for housing in their communities. http://www.nhc.org/nhcimages/paycheck.pdf

The California Senate Office of Research has released two new reports that present and economist’s perspective on sprawl.  Part I offers an economic definition of sprawl and quantifies its occurrence for urban areas in the American West.  Part II is a statistical study of the influence that local revenue choices and the presence of urban growth boundaries have on the generation and slowing of sprawl in the western United States. http://www.sen.ca.gov/sor/reports.htm

  = = =Highlight= = =
  The U. S. Conference of Mayors and American Farmland Trust have formed a   historic urban-rural coalition between local elected officials and farmers to develop smart growth policies that will promote city  reinvestment and farmland preservation. The partnership will work to remove development pressure on irreplaceable and invaluable farmland located near metropolitan areas called urban-influenced farmland. The Conference supports voluntary purchase of development rights programs and other farmland protection tools at the state, county and local level, including federal incentives for such efforts. 
http://www.usmayors.org/uscm/resolutions/69th_conference/ee_6.asp

  = = =State and Local News= = = 
  California
  Transportation Technology
  Caltrans is now providing online highway traffic information for the public. One site provides access to live traffic video. The user selects the metropolitan area and the camera location to see real-time traffic at a particular point along the freeway. Another application, the Real-time Freeway Speed Map, displays current freeway traffic speeds in 
  selected areas. The Photolog allows users to select a section of highway and take a virtual tour along that route. For full article, visit the Government Technology website at:
http://www.govtech.net/magazine/story.phtml?id=2530000000002426

  Colorado
  Legislation
 Today, July 9th the Colorado Court of Appeals will hear oral argument on CONDAA's case seeking expanded regulatory powers for counties whose land is being annexed and developed into sprawl. This case has relevance for 
anyone working on annexation battles, and particularly touches on whether a landowner must apply for and obtain a permit when developing land - even when seeking annexation into a municipality.  Fundamentally, the case will be something of a landmark in terms of what  types of regulatory authority counties have over their land in areas where land is being annexed and developed by sprawling cities.   www.condaa.org 

District of Columbia
Location Efficient Development
Planners and developers in Fairfax, Prince William and Stafford counties   are turning previously open and out-of-the-way land near Virginia Railway Express stations into potentially bustling complexes of hotels, restaurants, office parks, apartments and single-family homes. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A33806-2001Jul8.html

Georgia
County Secession
Characterizing itself as a rural county out of sync with more urban counties in the metro area, Cherokee County, one of the fastest growing counties in the country, submitted its formal request to the state on July 2 to withdraw from the Atlanta Regional Commission. http://www.accessatlanta.com/partners/ajc/epaper/editions/monday/business_b394a494f34460e500fb.html

Maryland
Urban Redevelopment
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and Montgomery County are investing $120 million in a high-density redevelopment project, including 20 percent affordable housing, in the downtown area of 
Wheaton, Maryland.  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6717-2001Jul1.html

Massachusetts
Affordable Housing
Suburban and city officials are engaged in current arguments over the  level of responsibility communities outside of Boston have in providing   Massachusetts residents with affordable housing.   http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/182/nation/Major_fight_expected_on_housing_legislation+.shtml

North Carolina
Development Moratorium 
Macon County one of the state's fastest growing areas has put a six-month moratorium on commercial development until they can implement land-use regulations. http://www.citizen-times.com/news/10678187.shtml

Ohio
Suburban Revitalization
A home improvement program, proposed by a Hamilton County Commissioner, will be used to improve home ownership rates and stem population loss.  http://enquirer.com/editions/2001/07/07/loc_new_plan_to_stem.html

  = = = National News = = = 
  Wildlife Campaign
  The Defenders of Wildlife launches its "Habitat & Highways" campaign. The campaign will work to reduce the impact of roads and driving on wildlife and habitat by modifying existing roads and help state and local officials incorporate wildlife conservation into transportation planning, so that future road development avoids ecologically significant areas and wildlife movement corridors.  http://www.defenders.org/habitat/highways

Affordable Housing Legislation
House bill HR 2349 to establish a National Housing Trust Fund was introduced (6/27). The Trust Fund would be used to build 1.5 million homes over the next ten years. A Senate version of the Trust Fund legislation is expected soon after the recess. Housing Trust Funds have been established by nearly 170 state and local governments over the past 
15 years and have built 200,000 affordable homes. Click below for the House bill and the list of co-sponsors to date. 
http://www.nhtf.org/nhtf/legislation/default.asp#1

Event
The George Washington University Center on Sustainability & Regional Growth will host on July 11 the first national forum on the Supreme Court's controversial decision in April in Sandoval v. Alexander. The forum will discuss the impact of the Court's decision on community health and environmental justice. Panelists include Robert Garcia, a 
public-interest attorney in Los Angeles formerly of Environmental Defense and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund; and Professor Sheila Foster of Rutgers Law School. Please contact Ingrid Torres at (202) 994-2955 to 
register and for details. 

Employment Opportunities
South Carolina Coastal Conservation League seeks a North Coast Program Manager. Inquiries should be sent to: Sam Passmore, Land Use Program Director, South Carolina Coastal Conservation League; PO Box 1765, 
Charleston, SC 29402, Or sa-@scccl.org No phone inquiries please. 

10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania seeks an Administrative Assistant. Click here for more information, http://www.10000friends.org 

= = =Highlight= = =
The U. S. Conference of Mayors and American Farmland Trust have formed a historic urban-rural coalition between local elected officials and farmers to develop smart growth policies that will promote city reinvestment and farmland preservation. The partnership will work to remove development pressure on irreplaceable and invaluable farmland located near metropolitan areas called urban-influenced farmland. The Conference supports voluntary purchase of development rights programs and other farmland protection tools at the state, county and local level, including federal incentives for such efforts. 
http://www.usmayors.org/uscm/resolutions/69th_conference/ee_6.asp

= = =State and Local News= = = 
California
Transportation Technology
Caltrans is now providing online highway traffic information for the public. One site provides access to live traffic video. The user selects the metropolitan area and the camera location to see real-time traffic at a particular point along the freeway. Another application, the Real-time Freeway Speed Map, displays current freeway traffic speeds in selected areas. The Photolog allows users to select a section of highway and take a virtual tour along that route. For full article, visit the 
Government Technology website at  http://www.govtech.net/magazine/story.phtml?id=2530000000002426

Colorado
Legislation
Today, July 9th the Colorado Court of Appeals will hear oral argument on CONDAA's case seeking expanded regulatory powers for counties whose land is being annexed and developed into sprawl. This case has relevance for anyone working on annexation battles, and particularly touches on whether a landowner must apply for and obtain a permit when 
developing land - even when seeking annexation into a municipality. Fundamentally, the case will be something of a landmark in terms of what types of regulatory authority counties have over their land in areas where land is being annexed and developed by sprawling cities. www.condaa.org

District of Columbia
Location Efficient Development
Planners and developers in Fairfax, Prince William and Stafford counties are turning previously open and out-of-the-way land near Virginia Railway Express stations into potentially bustling complexes of hotels, restaurants, office parks, apartments and single-family homes. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A33806-2001Jul8.html

Georgia
County Secession
Characterizing itself as a rural county out of sync with more urban counties in the metro area, Cherokee County, one of the fastest growing counties in the country, submitted its formal request to the state on July 2 to withdraw from the Atlanta Regional Commission. 
http://www.accessatlanta.com/partners/ajc/epaper/editions/monday/business_b394a494f34460e500fb.html

Maryland
Urban Redevelopment
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and Montgomery County are investing $120 million in a high-density redevelopment project, including 20 percent affordable housing, in the downtown area of Wheaton, Maryland.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6717-2001Jul1.html

Massachusetts
Affordable Housing
Suburban and city officials are engaged in current arguments over the level of responsibility communities outside of Boston have in providing Massachusetts residents with affordable housing. 
http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/182/nation/Major_fight_expected_on_housing_legislation+.shtml

North Carolina
Development Moratorium
Macon County one of the state's fastest growing areas has put a six-month moratorium on commercial development until they can implement land-use regulations. http://www.citizen-times.com/news/10678187.shtml

Ohio
Suburban Revitalization
A home improvement program, proposed by a Hamilton County Commissioner, will be used to improve home ownership rates and stem population loss. http://enquirer.com/editions/2001/07/07/loc_new_plan_to_stem.html

 = = = National News = = = 
Wildlife Campaign
The Defenders of Wildlife launches its "Habitat & Highways" campaign. The campaign will work to reduce the impact of roads and driving on wildlife and habitat by modifying existing roads and help state and local officials incorporate wildlife conservation into transportation planning, so that future road development avoids ecologically significant areas and wildlife movement corridors. http://www.defenders.org/habitat/highways

Affordable Housing Legislation
House bill HR 2349 to establish a National Housing Trust Fund was introduced (6/27).  The Trust Fund would be used to build 1.5 million homes over the next ten years. A Senate version of the Trust Fund legislation is expected soon after the recess. Housing Trust Funds have been established by nearly 170 state and local governments over the past 
15 years and have built 200,000 affordable homes. Click below for the House bill and the list of co-sponsors to date. 
http://www.nhtf.org/nhtf/legislation/default.asp#1

Event
The George Washington University Center on Sustainability & Regional Growth will host on July 11 the first national forum on the Supreme Court's controversial decision in April in Sandoval v. Alexander. The forum will discuss the impact of the Court's decision on community health and environmental justice. Panelists include Robert Garcia, a public-interest attorney in Los Angeles formerly of Environmental Defense and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund; and Professor Sheila Foster of 
Rutgers Law School. Please contact Ingrid Torres at (202) 994-2955 to register and for details. 

Employment Opportunities
South Carolina Coastal Conservation League seeks a North Coast Program Manager. Inquiries should be sent to: Sam Passmore, Land Use Program Director, South Carolina Coastal Conservation League; PO Box 1765, Charleston, SC 29402,Or samp@scccl.org No phone inquiries please. 

10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania seeks an Administrative Assistant. Click here for more information, http://www.10000friends.org