Reconnecting Communities Grant Round Offers $600M for Highway Mitigation Projects

The program is part of the 2021 infrastructure law and calls for improving access in communities disadvantaged by freeways.

1 minute read

July 18, 2024, 9:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


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A new round of federal Reconnecting Communities grant funding will jump-start some major infrastructure projects that have been lying dormant. “The program is designed to improve residents’ access to jobs, education, healthcare, food, nature and recreation, with priority given to projects that benefit disadvantaged communities.”

As Dan Zukowski explains in Smart Cities Dive, “Eligible for the grants are projects that remove, retrofit or mitigate existing facilities and infrastructure to restore community connectivity. The funds can be used to study such projects or to fund construction.”

The grants are available to states, local governments, metropolitan planning organizations, tribal governments, and nonprofit organizations as part of the 2021 infrastructure law. The law, and the Reconnecting Communities Program, are set to end in 2026.

Wednesday, July 17, 2024 in Smart Cities Dive

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

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