Under the US Housing and Urban Development Department’s new Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant Program, the Central Texas region will receive funds to build economic competitiveness by connecting housing with good jobs, quality schools and transportation.
More specifically, the funds will be used to
- Develop new tools/models (as in computer/software models) to measure the impact of (seemingly) local decisions on regional sustainability.
- Conduct demonstration projects, such as site-specific plans, market studies or code enhancements, to support the development of the regional activity centers proposed in the CAMPO 2035 Plan.
- Conduct studies to identify ways to close gaps in existing local plans in order to achieve region-wide sustainability outcomes.
Capital Metro is a member of the consortium that applied for the grant. The consortium includes the Capital Area Council of Governments; CAMPO; the Cities of Austin, Round Rock, and San Marcos; UT; ACC; Texas State University; IBM and other partners.
Lucy Galbraith, Capital Metro’s transit oriented developmentmanager, was instrumental in coordinating efforts to submit this application. (Look for a blog post next week from Lucy about the project’s benefits for TOD.)
In the end, our region will have the information we need to make the right investments necessary to create the region we want.
Here’s to another great step forward in regional collaboration!
I have multiple sclerosis. I have been out of work for over a year. With my disability Metro pass, I can afford to get around. Please do not penalize me and others who have disabilities for our cheaper fares.