Partners Events

On August 3rd, the Senate Banking Committee passed legislation formalizing the Interagency Council on Sustainable Communities which is compromised of HUD, DOT and EPA and the creation of the Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities. The Livable Communities Act, introduced by Chairman Chris Dodd, also creates two competitive grant programs designed to help communities develop and carry out comprehensive plans for more sustainable futures. 

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Transportation recently announced $175 million in new funding for local projects that focus on creating more “livable, sustainable communities.”

Officials are hoping that the arts and creative community will take notice.  HUD worked with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to create a webinar on the grants, encouraging arts organizations to develop proposals in partnership with state and local governments, planning agencies, non-profit organizations, or other eligible applicants (click here for a rebroadcast of the webinar).  In a press release, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan emphasized that “the arts are a natural component to furthering this Administration’s commitment to creating more livable, walkable, environmentally sustainable communities.”

This fall, Partners for Livable Communities will host a forum to build on the growing prominence of federal “livability” agendas such as these, and create a common framework that incorporates the full range of tools available to the movement, including the arts.   “Building Livable Communities: Creating a Common Agenda,” will be held on September 22nd at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington DC.  Click here for more information, or to RSVP.

September 22, 2010

Livability has become the framework for our Congress, our administration, and our federal agencies to invest in the quality of life, economic competitiveness, and recovery of the American community.

Yet “livability” is a broad term encompassing many values.  Partners for Livable Communities, in association with the Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum, will host a forum that discusses how quality of life, economic development, and social services can be addressed by blending together the full range of livability values, including transportation, housing, and amenities such as arts, cultural heritage, and design.  This blending of strategies creates a livability tool kit that city, state, and national leaders can use to revitalize the American community.

Partners for Livable Communities honored eight individuals, organizations and communities for stewardship and innovation in the improvement of communities worldwide. These prestigious awards were  presented by Washington, D.C.-based Partners for Livable Communities at its “Celebration of Vision and Community Spirit” formal dinner and awards program on Monday evening, December 7th, 2009 at The Fairfax Hotel in Washington, D.C.

In the fall of 2009, Partners for Livable Communities received a grant from the Energy Foundation to challenge the common misconception that economic growth and environmental sustainability are fundamentally at odds with one another and to showcase innovative programs at the nexus of these agendas.