North Carolina Planning Conference Features Sustainability Sessions
The statewide professional planners conference was held in Charlotte last week (October 5th through 7th). Dr. Russ Smith, an associate professor at Winston-Salem State University organized a session entitled Approaches to Sustainability in North Carolina. He also moderated and presented during the session. Dr. Smith is a Piedmont Triad Sustainable Communities Planning Project team member, assisting with outreach efforts to grassroots groups, ethnic and rural populations. Also presenting was Mark E. Kirstner, Project Manager, and Wendell Hardin director of the Winston-Salem Sustainability Resource Center and member of project team.
Webinar featuring Mark E. Kirstner
Smart Growth America and the American Planning Association hosted a joint webinar on July 14, 2011, with tips to assist communities gather information and advice on applying for Partnership for Sustainable Communities grants. The Piedmont Triad Sustainable Communities Project was featured with our very own, Mark Kirstner presenting! View the Webinar – click here!
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Sustainable Communities Grants
Since forming the Partnership for Sustainable Communities in 2009, HUD, DOT, and EPA have announced a series of grants and other assistance to over 200 communities across the country. View a interactive map on this website – http://www.sustainablecommunities.gov/community.html#3 that includes information on awards already made through Partnership programs. Click a pin on the mapto see a more detailed description of the project and links to more information.
The Piedmont Triad Sustainability Plan is under the ‘Featured Communities’ section of the website with a video overview of the project!
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Piedmont Triad Sustainable Communities Project Benefits Other Projects:
By virtue of receiving the Sustainable Communities Grant from HUD, three other local projects are receiving points on their grant applications for being involved in the Consortium for this project!
- Greensboro Housing Coalition for their HUD Healthy Homes Production Program Grant
- City of High Point Community Development and Housing Department for their Lead Based Paint Hazard Control Grant
- The Center for Design Innovation (CDI) located in Winston-Salem for a National Science Foundation to create a Research Coordination Network that would promote learning and actions aimed at maximizing sustainability as we grow our community.
- Housing Authority for City of Winston-Salem for the Cleveland Ave. Initiative Masterplan
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In the Beginning:
In October of 2010, the Piedmont Triad was awarded a $1.6 Million dollar grant from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development to aid in the development of a Sustainable Communities Regional Plan. PART led the application process partnering with transportation, land use and housing agencies in the Piedmont Triad including the two Councils of Government, four Metropolitan Planning Organization’s that represent the region, and the planning and housing departments of the cities of Greensboro, High Point and Winston-Salem. Our Region was selected after a highly competitive selection process out of 225 applicants across the Country.
Overview of the Project
Click here to see a One-Page Handout About the Project
Document Archive
NC Grant Submittal Comparisons
Sustainable Communities Task Force Overview