Congratulations UVM Transportation Center

While Smart Growth Vermont was not one of the four organizations that received a $200,000 grant from the recent Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Climate Change grant round, our partner in our research and implementation initiative, the UVM Transportation Research Center, was. Their proposal, submitted in partnership with the New England Transportation Institute, was awarded to conduct an in-depth analysis of transportation patterns in the rural Northeast to help inform policy-makers on the likely adoption and ultimate effect of different transportation strategies on greenhouse gas emissions levels.

We expect their work will be very beneficial to Smart Growth Vermont as we move forward with our research and implementation project to demonstrate the link between land use, transportation, climate change and energy efficiency. Thanks again to all our supporters who voted for our project and made great comments. We look forward to securing the funding to get our initiative started.

You can visit UVM's Center for Transportation Research website for more information.

Frontline on Poisoned Waters

The verdict is in. Smart Growth is about more than just great neighborhoods and vibrant downtowns and working rural lands. It’s also about clean water. A new special report, which aired on the PBS series, Frontline – called Poisoned Waters – finally puts to rest the longstanding assumption that runoff from city streets is responsible for most of our water quality problems. The biggest culprit, host Hendrick Smith explains, is sprawl. While stormwater from densely developed urban areas is definitely an issue, it doesn’t compare with the scale of the water quality problems that flow from our nation’s vast suburbs. From Puget Sound to Chesapeake Bay, Poisoned Waters shows just how gravely America’s water resources are imperiled – and how smart growth is one of the keys to bringing our rivers, lakes, and bays back to health.

You can watch the full program, or individual clips at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/poisonedwaters/view.

Smart Growth Vermont Needs your Vote!

Dear Smart Growth Vermont members and supporters,

We just found out about a tremendous grant opportunity, and we need a couple minutes of your time in the next few days to help increase our chances of being selected.

We are applying for a $200,000 grant from Green Mountain Coffee for a project focused on transportation and climate change. Our goal is to reduce Vermont's carbon footprint by developing a statewide strategy for increasing non-automobile mobility options in rural communities through innovative transit systems and better land use planning.

The catch is, part of the application process involves submitting a summary of your grant idea to a website called justmeans.org to see how many votes it garners and positive comments it receives relative to other proposals. The top vote-getters are given greater weight when their full proposals are reviewed.

So here is what you can do to help:

1. Click on the following link: http://www.justmeans.com/competitionidea/8492/promoteidea.html

2. You will be asked for your name, email, and password. Note that the system does not verify your email address in any way, so you can be creative here if you like.

3. As soon as your “registration” is complete, your vote will automatically be registered. (That is, there is no need to click any buttons to vote.) Please take a moment to enter a supportive comment right below the proposal.

4. LAST STEP (don’t skip this one!): please email ten friends and colleagues asking them to vote in support of our proposal as well. Be sure to include these instructions so they are not deterred by the registration process.

We have until March 20 – that’s next Friday – to gather 400+ votes and put our proposal in first place. Can you help us get there?

Thanks,

The Smart Growth Vermont staff

Tune in to VPR this Wednesday!

Tune in to Vermont Edition this Wednesday at Noon, on Vermont Public Radio, for the series, Vermont in Transition: Keeping Communities Vital, where our very own Noelle MacKay will take part in a discussion on development and how the decisions towns make about where to put houses, stores and open space determine the quality of life for future generations.

And, if you're in Burlington next Thursday, March 19, head over to UVM's Memorial Lounge, Rm. 338, at 7:30 pm, for the seminar, Transportation Efficiency: Reducing the Carbon and Economic Costs of Automobility in Vermont. For more information, contact crv@uvm.edu or call 802-656-4389.

March E-newsletter out!

Our March e-newsletter is out. This month, you'll find features on Town Meeting Day and Vermont's Downtown Tax Credit program. You will also find nomination forms for the 2009 Smart Growth Awards and the Art Gibb Award for Individual Leadership, and much more. Enjoy!

Welcome!

Welcome to Smart Growth Vermont's Blog! We will update this resource regularly to keep you informed about the work we do throughout the state. You will find information about upcoming events, relevant news articles and photos. We hope you enjoy this new feature!