The U.S. Departments of Transportation (DOT) and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) have announced that they will join forces to award up to $75 million in funding — $35 million in TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) II Planning Grants and $40 million in Sustainable Community Challenge Grants for localized planning activities that ultimately lead to projects that integrate transportation, housing and economic development. The effort is designed to improve planning for “livable, sustainable communities,” where transportation, housing and commercial development investments combine to promote sustainability at the local level. Examples could include the following:
- Planning activities that support the development of affordable housing near transportation through the adoption of inclusionary zoning ordinances and other activities such as acquisition of land for affordable housing projects.
- Preparing or amending local codes and ordinances that prevent the private sector from developing neighborhoods more sustainably and inclusively, with housing located near transportation and retail.
- Planning activities related to the development of a particular transportation corridor or regional transportation system that promotes mixed-use or transit-oriented development with an affordable housing component.
- Planning activities related to the development of a freight corridor that seeks to reduce conflicts with residential areas and with passenger and non-motorized traffic. In this type of project, DOT might fund the transportation planning activities along the corridor, and HUD might fund changes in the zoning code to support appropriate siting of freight facilities and route the freight traffic around town centers, residential areas and schools.
- Developing expanded public transportation options, including accessible public transportation and para-transit services for individuals with disabilities, to allow individuals to live in diverse, high opportunity communities and to commute to areas with employment and educational opportunities.
Applications for the funding are due on August 23.
