American City & County Magazine picks 6 "crown communities" for 2010, which it says "exhibit the qualities that build strong communities: cooperation, creativity and leadership."
American City & County appears to be singling out projects that are collaborations between government and their communities, such as the Washington Park Stormwater Improvement Project in Downers Grove, Illinois:
"In response to a damaging 2006 storm that produced severe flooding throughout the city, Downers Grove, Ill., commissioned and adopted a comprehensive Watershed Infrastructure Improvement Plan. The plan identified high-risk areas for drainage and flooding, and recommended specific solutions for each problem area. Sixteen high-priority areas were identified, where flooding would result in immediate danger to public health and safety, or complete loss of property value, structural damage and significant basement flooding. The plan recommended that the 16 projects be completed within three years."
Projects in Coral Gables, Florida and Sandy Springs, Georgia were also selected.
FULL STORY: America's Crown Communities 2010
Millions in Cleanup Funds Granted to Delaware Watershed
The grants revolve around cleanup, accessibility, and governance of the watershed, which spans four states.
Transit-Walkability Collaborative Established
The new Transit-Walkability Collaborative works to create safe, healthy, equitable, and sustainable communities by harnessing the synergy between walkability and quality public transit service.
100 Resilient Cities Program Reaches 100 Members
The Rockefeller Foundation’s global initiative for urban resilience rounded out its membership this month with the addition of 37 cities.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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