Rhode
Island was the first state to receive a federal Sustainable Communities
Regional Planning Grant, and during the next two years a newly formed
consortium of state agencies, municipalities and nonprofits will develop a
vision for the state called “A Sustainable Rhode Island.” The goal is to guide
the Ocean State toward a sustainable future, with an emphasis on public
participation and inclusiveness.
The
$2.4 million initiative includes a $1.9 million Sustainable Communities
Regional Planning Grant, which was awarded in April to develop a Rhode Island
regional plan for sustainable development by 2015. The Department of
Administration’s Statewide Planning Program is the lead applicant and
coordinator. The goal is to incorporate previous state guide plans, including
Transportation 2025, Land Use 2025 and Water 2030, into an updated
comprehensive sustainable economic plan for Rhode Island.
“As we work collaboratively to identify the most promising path to a prosperous future, we must understand how Rhode Island fits into our regional economy, what our strengths are and where we can improve,” Gov. Lincoln Chafee said earlier this month.
The
statewide consortium includes Rhode Island Housing, the Rhode Island Public
Transit Authority, state Department of Transportation, state Department of
Environmental Management, the Economic Development Corporation and the state
Department of Health. The three nonprofits involved are the Local Initiatives
Support Corporation, GrowSmart Rhode Island and Rhode Island Legal Services.
A
consulting group, to be selected from applicants that responded to a request
for proposal posted in November, will be primarily responsible for fulfilling
the terms of the sustainable communities grant.
“Newport
is one of the participating communities,” said Jeanne Tracy-McAreavy, the
city’s senior development planner. “This is a state comprehensive plan, more
than a local comprehensive plan. Best practices have to be updated constantly.”
Participating
municipalities include the cities of Cranston, East Providence, Newport,
Pawtucket, Providence and Warwick and the towns of Burrillville, North Kingstown
and Westerly. (Not Charlestown - editor).
The
collaboration, however, isn’t limited to its current configuration. “The
consortium is open to expansion and we expect the consortium to grow,” said
Melanie Army, supervising planner for the Rhode Island Division of Planning.
The
goal is to decide how to use policy and investments to provide housing, jobs
and training, safe water, a healthy environment and transportation for all
Rhode Island residents, according to the initiative.
The
Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant program is part of the
Partnership for Sustainable Communities, an Obama administration initiative
that began in 2009. The partnership is co-led by the U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development (HUD), the U.S. Department of Transportation and the
Environmental Protection Agency. To date, about $400 million has been
distributed to some 200 recipient communities or regions across the country.
The
program places a priority on investing in partnerships, including
nontraditional partnerships — e.g., arts and culture, recreation, public
health, food systems, regional planning agencies and public education entities
— that translate federal livability principles into strategies that direct
long-term development and reinvestment, according to the HUD website.
“This
is the very first time a federal program is aimed at breaking down ‘silos’
between different agencies and between all of the these issues,” Army said.
Federal
livability principles include greater transportation choices; promotion of
equitable, affordable housing; enhanced economic competitiveness; support and
valuing of existing communities; and coordination and leveraging of federal
policies and investment.
“Livability
means being able to take your kids to school, go to work, see a doctor, drop by
the grocery or post office, go out to dinner and a movie, and play with your
kids at the park, all without having to get into your car,” according to
Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood. “Livability means building the
communities that help Americans live the lives they want to live — whether
those communities are urban centers, small towns, or rural areas.”
The
program will open up other funding opportunities, including from foundations
and the private sector, to help build upon and implement the state’s sustainability
plan, according to the Rhode Island Division of Planning. The lead consulting
team is expected to be announced by the end of February or March.
“Without
a strong united vision, things will not improve,” said Army, referring to Rhode
Island’s depressed economy. “This sets us up in a really good position to
implement that vision.”
