New Updates on SCRC - 06/07/2012

Developed by the Office of Policy Development and Research in partnership with HUD’s Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities (OSHC), the Sustainable Communities Resource Center (SCRC) is a section of huduser.gov dedicated to providing you with information that supports local and regional strategies, with an emphasis on sustainable housing and planning.

New on SCRC

Ohio’s Brownfield Action Plan Pilot Program
The Brownfield Action Plan Pilot Program, a two-part initiative launched in Fall 2011 by the Ohio Department of Development (ODOD), is the state’s program to address comprehensive redevelopment of multiple brownfield sites in the context of their surrounding neighborhoods, rather than as separate parcels. This past December, six inaugural grants of $50,000 each were awarded to the cities of Fairborn, Newark, Ravenna, Piqua, and Xenia, and to the Seneca Industrial and Economic Development Corporation (SIEDC). Many reasons exist for pursuing areawide brownfield redevelopment. Read More

Submetering: An Approach to Tracking Energy Expenditures
In recent years, the federal government has encouraged developers to reduce energy consumption in commercial and residential buildings. In October 2009, President Obama signed Executive Order 13514, which outlines 23 goals for minimizing energy use, reducing greenhouse gases, and increasing the use of renewable resources. In its recent report, Submetering of Building Energy and Water Usage, the National Science and Technology Council Committee on Technology offers an innovative and nuanced way to address and assess buildings’ energy consumption: submetering, or installing devices that take nearly continuous measurements at the smallest levels — even down to the amount of energy used by a single plug. Read More

Grantee Spotlight: St. Louis Plans for Regional Renewal
In the heartland of America at the “Meeting of the Great Rivers,” where the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers converge, lies the city of St. Louis. With a footprint that extends into both Missouri and Illinois, the St. Louis metropolitan area offers residents one of the most scenic stretches of roadway in the Midwest. Home to more than 2.8 million people, the area has minimal crime, plentiful recreation opportunities, and great schools, earning it a place on Parenting Magazine’s list of the best places to raise a family. But even with such honors, the region still has its share of challenges; the East-West Gateway Council of Governments (EWG) finds that decades of unplanned growth in the region have led to a mismatch of jobs and housing. Read More