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Transportation and Housing Linking Up at Federal Level

Posted by: Nate Berg

21 April 2009 - 5:00am

The silos are breaking down in the federal government as the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Transportation are embarking on a shared plan to increase interdepartmental collaboration.

"Two of President Obama’s Cabinet secretaries–Shaun Donovan of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Ray LaHood of Transportation (DOT)–are promising to make their bureaucracies work together. And not just in stuffy interdepartmental meetings in Washington, but in crafting their programs as they impact communities nationwide."

"For federal departments, historically known for working in their own “silos,” largely oblivious to one another, it’s a nearly revolutionary step."

"HUD funds have traditionally gone for public or affordable housing with little regard to whether it’s located accessible to public transit or jobs. Conversely, major road or transit projects have received federal transportation assistance with an apparently blind eye to whether they connect working class people to jobs or serve housing projects."

Full Story: Agencies Collaborating: Affair of the Year
Source: Citiwire, April 16, 2009
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What the Census will not include is the long-form questions that have, since 1940, asked one-sixth of American households to reveal fine details about their lives. The long form was scrapped following the 2000 Census, so planners who are accustomed to relying on detailed, nuanced Census data to analyze and plan their communities may not get the detail that they expect.
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