New Updates on SCRC - 02/13/2013

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

Grantee Spotlight: Albuquerque’s Bridge Boulevard Redevelopment Plan
Bridge Boulevard carries more than 30,000 cars a day across the Rio Grande River and through the center of the South Valley near Albuquerque, New Mexico. In response to concerns about safety, congestion, business revitalization, and housing affordability in the corridor, Bernalillo County initiated the Bridge Boulevard Corridor Redevelopment Plan process in 2011. The county is investing $382,188 to augment $500,000 in joint HUD Community Challenge Planning Grant and U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Tiger II Planning Grant funding, which is being used to prepare a plan that supports mixed-use development, including affordable housing, and to improve transportation options. Read More

ARRA-Funded Energy-Efficiency Program Seeds Private-Sector Financing
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) provided billions of dollars in financing to homeowners, businesses, and local governments to invest in energy-efficiency and renewable-energy technology through the Department of Energy’s State Energy Program. The influx of available capital into the residential energy-efficiency market was intended to remove the barriers to efficiency upgrades, including the upfront costs of retrofitting a home. The intent was also to foster long-term growth in energy-efficiency and renewable-energy technology through a scaled response supported by the private sector. Read More

Earn-A-Bike Aims To Get the University of Louisville Cycling
Hundreds of students, faculty, and staff at the University of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky now have the opportunity to cycle to class or work as a result of an innovative new program designed to reduce vehicle trips to campus and encourage healthy transportation options. Launched in fall 2012, the Earn-A-Bike program, which provides participants with a voucher to be used toward the purchase of a bicycle or cycling-related equipment, is part of a larger movement toward sustainability at the university. Read More