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From the Toolbox

Date: Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Posted in: Smart Growth Vermont

Smart Growth Vermont has just added a new tool and case study to the Community Planning Toolbox: an overview of the Downtown Designation tool that provides information and resources about how Vermont's Downtown Program can help communities boost the health and vitality of their downtowns.

The associated case study highlights the experience of the village of Bellows Falls as it applied for -- and benefitted from -- downtown designation. While...

Community Planning Partnership Update

Date: Friday, June 27, 2008
Posted in: Smart Growth Vermont

Smart Growth Vermont has begun work on a multifaceted project with the Town of Burke that will help the town prepare for large-scale anticipated growth. Working in partnership with the Northeastern Vermont Development Association, Smart Growth Vermont will build on a series of plan and bylaw revisions already put into place by the town over the last few years. The town’s planning efforts are in response to a major resort development planned for Burke Mountain that will add a...

HR 6052 Could Boost Mass Transit

Date: Friday, June 27, 2008
Posted in: National, Transportation

The Saving Energy Through Public Transportation Act of 2008 (HR 6052) passed the House of Representatives on June 26. The bill would authorize $1.7 Billion in federal funding to help mass transit agencies expand services or reduce fares in an effort to promote an increase in transit use. As gas prices continue to rise, communities should increase transportation options, but high fuel costs often force them to cut service instead. This legislation would expand public transit at...

Rutland Could Benefit from Improved Sidewalks

Date: Thursday, June 26, 2008
Posted in: Vermont

Housing developments over the last two or three decades have often been been built without accompanying sidewalks. The reasoning behind this trend has been that although sidewalks are nice, they simply aren't necessary, since most people drive everywhere. However, during this same period, obesity rates and chronic health problems began to rise across the country. Is this a coincidence, or has the lack of sidewalks contributed to a decline in healthy lifestyles? According to a...

Vermont Statewide Housing Conference

Date: Thursday, June 26, 2008
Posted in: Housing

Vermont Housing Finance Agency will present their 2008 Statewide Housing Conference Tuesday, November 18 at the Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center in Burlington. More information and online registration will be available soon at, www.vhfa.org/conference.

Mini-Grants Available to Launch Community Gardens in Vermont

Date: Thursday, June 26, 2008
Posted in: Vermont

Friends of Burlington Gardens has recently announced it will award up to ten $500 mini-grants to help fund the start-up of community gardens in Vermont communities that lack places where residents can grow their own food. The statewide program will provide seed money to local groups that plan to open gardens in spring 2009. Eligible garden sites must be at least 2,500 square feet and provide at least ten plots for local residents. To learn more about the program,...

Smart Growth in Action: Burlington's Banknorth Redevelopment

Date: Thursday, June 19, 2008
Posted in: Smart Growth

Downtown renovation is a tricky business, and the redevelopment of an entire block on King Street in the heart of downtown Burlington is no exception. Known as the Banknorth block, this prime location is seeing infill from one side to the other, with everything from from upscale residential condominiums to office space and affordable housing.

In 2002, Redstone, Housing Vermont and Champlain Housing Trust partnered to acquire the majority of the block from TD Banknorth. ...

Community Spotlight: Brattleboro

Date: Thursday, June 19, 2008
Posted in: Community Spotlight

Brattleboro, VT -- one of Outside magazine's Top Dream Towns -- is hip and charming all rolled into one. Where else can you find classic New England covered bridges, tall steeples, and majestic maples alongside trendy bookstores, a co-op featuring local foods, and a downtown shop called Save the Corporations from Themselves?

Chartered in 1753, Brattleboro was an industrial hub by the early 1800s. Today, the two largest employment sectors are service and retail, but there are...

Award-Winning Documentary Follows Grassroots Campaign to Stop WalMart

Date: Thursday, June 19, 2008
Posted in: Big Box Stores, National

The residents of Damariscotta, Maine rallied together to keep a Super WalMart from locating in their small town in the award winning documentary OurTown. Red Door Media followed two young mothers' grassroots campaign to educate the community and recruit volunteers to take on the largest retail corporation in the world. What these two determined community activists demonstrate is that local citizens have the right -- and the ability -- to shape the future of their...

Weigh in on Truck Safety in Vermont

Date: Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Posted in: National, Transportation, Vermont

The current federal weight limit for large trucks is 80,000 pounds. Safety is the main reason for this limit, and keeping truck traffic safe is of particular concern for Vermont. National statistics show that 76% of all fatal crashes occur on two-lane roads, and in Vermont, 77% of major roads (excluding interstates) are two lanes. If limits were increased, Vermont would likely suffer disproportionately as safety declined. In addition, damage to roads already costs Vermont...

2008 Arthur Gibb Awards

Date: Monday, June 16, 2008
Posted in: Smart Growth Vermont

Smart Growth Vermont is now accepting nominations for the 2008 Arthur Gibb Award. This award is presented to a Vermont resident who embodies Arthur Gibb's leadership skills and ability to balance competing interests in crafting innovative solutions, and who has made a lasting contribution to moving smart growth policies forward in their community or region or across the state as a whole.

In past years, the Arthur Gibb Award was given to an individual at the same time as Smart Growth...

CCTA Ridership Increases

Date: Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Posted in: Transportation, Vermont

Ridership on Chittenden County's bus line is steadily increasing as residents are looking for ways to combat rising gas prices and save money. Overall ridership in Vermont has risen over 6% since last year, and the LINK Express routes, such as Montpelier to Burlington, have increased by 46%. Large employers in Chittenden County are contributing to this increase in ridership by offering to purchase bus passes for their employees. A $42 local pass allows a rider unlimited travel. ...

Community Planning Partnership Update

Date: Thursday, May 22, 2008
Posted in: Smart Growth Vermont

Smart Growth Vermont to Assist the Town of Pownal with Growth Center Designation

In partnership with LandWorks, a Middlebury-based landscape architecture and planning firm, Smart Growth Vermont has been chosen to assist the Town of Pownal with its effort to seek growth center designation for Pownal Village and adjacent lands, including the site of the former Green Mountain Race Track. The Town feels that growth center designation would build upon and strengthen their efforts to support...

New Online Community Action Guide Launched

Date: Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Posted in: Smart Growth Vermont

So often individuals ask us what they can do in their everyday lives to be part of the solution to the issues facing Vermont. With the help of volunteer Sarah Von Lehman, Smart Growth Vermont expanded the Get Involved portion of our website and created Connect to the Land: A Guide for Taking Action. This online resource showcases Vermonters making a difference and supporting their local economy, conserving the natural environment and connecting with neighborhood farms and...

Front Porch Forum Receives National Recognition

Date: Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Posted in: Vermont

Front Porch Forum, an online resource that helps neighbors connect and foster community, recently placed sixth out of almost 5,000 entrants in the Make it Your Own Awards Program, a Case Foundation Initiative. The placement has entitled the Forum to a $10,000 grant, which will be used for software development. Congratulations!

High Gas Prices Result in Shifting Lifestyles

Date: Monday, May 12, 2008
Posted in: National

Gas prices continue to rise across the country and as a result, Americans are tightening their belts on spending. More importantly, Americans feel the cost of gas will continue to rise and this is causing a shift in lifestyle choices. For example, people are driving less, purchasing more fuel efficient vehicles, and using gas saving tips like driving slower, turning the air conditioner off and getting regular tune-ups. Read more.

US Ranks Last in Worldwide Sustainability Survey

Date: Thursday, May 8, 2008
Posted in: National

National Geographic and international polling firm GlobeScan have recently conducted a study to measure and monitor consumer progress toward sustainability. Covering 14 countries, the survey asked consumers questions about energy use and conservation, transportation options, their knowledge of environmental issues and the use of green versus traditional products. Among the lowest countries scored were, the United States, Canada and France. You can read more and view the...

Community Spotlight: Brandon

Date: Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Posted in: Community Spotlight

"Unhurried, Unspoiled, Unforgettable", is the motto in Brandon. Located along Route 7, Brandon is a wonderful example of Vermont's unique landscape. At the foothills of the Green Mountain National Forest, Brandon's downtown - listed on the National Register of Historic Places - is the center of the community allowing residents to meet over coffee, grab some groceries and take in a concert in the park. Brandon is also home to some past and present noteworthy figures including the...

Smart Growth in Action: Lake Champlain Land Trust

Date: Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Posted in: Smart Growth

One of the ten principles of smart growth is to conserve open space in order to maintain an ecological balance between our urban and rural environments. The Lake Champlain Land Trust (LCLT), a nonprofit organization founded in 1978, works in partnership with communities and colleagues to preserve the islands, shorelands and natural areas of Lake Champlain. LCLT has contributed to the conservation of several open space and natural areas throughout the region, including 1,200 feet of sandy beach...

Healthy Neighborhoods, Healthy Kids Guide Available

Date: Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Posted in: Smart Growth Vermont

Smart Growth Vermont, in partnership with Shelburne Farms' Sustainable Schools Project, is pleased to announce the release of the Healthy Neighborhoods- Healthy Kids Guide. The Guide introduces community design, public safety and civic engagement concepts to school children so they can understand the relationship between the design of their neighborhoods and personal well being. It includes helpful tools, ideas for activities and case studies of schools that have implemented the Healthy...

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