New Updates on The Edge

Message from PD&R Leadership:
Ted E. Payne, PD&R’s New Director of the Program Monitoring and Research Division
After working with geospatial data, projects, and applications for 21 years, including stints at the Olathe, Kansas Utilities Department and at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ted E. Payne has joined PD&R as the new director of the Program Monitoring and Research Division. Payne provides an overview of his education and experience with geographic information systems, and he discusses his approach for undertaking new projects and working with demographic data at PD&R.

In Practice:
Transit-Oriented Development Offers Affordable Housing and Amenities in North Minneapolis
Nonprofit developer Building Blocks held a grand opening in January 2016 for the Commons at Penn Avenue, a mixed-use development accessible to several current and planned public transportation lines in the Willard-Hay neighborhood of north Minneapolis. Commons at Penn offers 47 units of affordable housing and year-round programming for school-aged, resident youth. Soon the development also will feature a grocery store, Wirth Co-op, which will bring fresh food to an underserved neighborhood.

Trending:
Creating Walkable and Bikeable Communities
As demand increases for areas that are well served by a variety of transportation options, communities have made considerable progress in building and designing infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists. To help provide guidance for practitioners, policymakers, and advocates, HUD has released “Creating Walkable and Bikeable Communities,” which focuses on the importance of integrated planning that considers land use, infrastructure, and urban design in supporting pedestrians and cyclists.

Please send your comments and suggestions to editor@huduser.gov.