The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has set aside $980 million for Community Development Block Grants, which will be split among 1,200 governments.
"CDBGs, established in 1974, can be used for many different purposes. Over the program's history, the most popular uses have been affordable-housing rehabilitation and upgrades to infrastructure such as streets, sewers, and community centers.
But for the stimulus CDBGs, HUD says in a technical guidance document released May 5 that it 'strongly urges grantees to use funds for hard development costs associated with infrastructure activities that provide basic services to residents, or activities that promote energy efficiency and conservation through rehabilitation or retrofitting of existing buildings.'"
"...The economic-stimulus legislation says that localities that receive the grants should place a priority on projects for which contracts can be awarded within 120 days of the grant agreement.
By June 5, cities and counties must file amendments to their 'action plans,' telling HUD how they plan to use the stimulus CDBG money. States have until June 29 to file their amended plans."
FULL STORY: HUD Releases Plan for $980 Million In Stimulus Block Grants

Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

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

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network
The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

Philadelphia Launches ‘Speed Slots’ Traffic Calming Pilot
The project focuses on a 1.4-mile stretch of Lincoln Drive where cars frequently drive above the posted speed limit.

NYC Delivery ‘Microhubs’ Aim to Cut Down on Truck Pollution
The hubs are designed to provide parking for large delivery trucks, which can pass on their cargo to bikes or other zero-emission vehicles.

New State Study Suggests Homelessness Far Undercounted in New Mexico
An analysis of hospital visit records provided a more accurate count than the annual point-in-time count used by most agencies.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
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