DOT and HUD, Together Again

DOT and HUD announce a joint effort to merge land use and planning to improve livability. CNU's John Norquist comments on the merger.

1 minute read

May 2, 2009, 1:00 PM PDT

By The Intrepid Staff


"The US Departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development are establishing a "Sustainable Communities Initiative" that will make planning grants to metropolitan areas, coordinate land-use and transportation planning, and promote 'livability' and transit-oriented development."

"Perhaps the joint planning is the most remarkable aspect of the announcement, Norquist pointed out. 'It's absolutely shocking that DOT and HUD did not talk each other,' he said. 'Their buildings are right next to each other, and there was almost no communication at all. It looks like LaHood and Donovan like each other and they set a marker that they will have to meet.'

The key to the program's success will be the metrics used to measure the vague term "livability," Norquist adds."

Thanks to Renee Gayle Brutvan

Wednesday, April 15, 2009 in New Urban News

portrait of professional woman

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

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

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 23, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17, 2025 - San José Spotlight

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Electric 18-wheeler truck plugged into electric charger.

California Set to Increase Electric Truck Chargers by 25%

The California Transportation Commission approved funding for an additional 500 charging ports for electric trucks along some of the state’s busiest freight corridors.

July 25 - Natural Resources Defense Council

Workers in safety vests installing large solar panels in Southern California desert landscape.

21 Climate Resilience Projects Cancelled by the EPA

The federal government has pulled funding for at least 21 projects related to farming, food systems, and environmental justice to comply with one of Trump’s early executive orders.

July 25 - Civil Eats

Police clearing a homeless encampment in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Trump Executive Order on Homelessness Calls for Forced Institutionalization

The order seeks to remove legal precedents and consent decrees that prevent cities from moving unhoused people from the street to treatment centers.

July 25 - USA Today