EPA Recognizes Top Cities For Achievement in Smart Growth

Did San Francisco or Lancaster win? Let’s see:

This week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency named the winners of the 2009 National Award for Smart Growth Achievement, recognizing “outstanding achievement in smart growth by tribal, state, local or regional governments in four categories: Overall Excellence, Policies and Regulations, Built Projects, and Smart Growth & Green Building.

• Overall Excellence in Smart Growth: Envision Lancaster County Comprehensive, Lancaster County Planning Commission, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
• Policies and Regulations: The City of Charlotte, Charlotte Department of Transportation, Charlotte, North Carolina
• Built Projects: Parkside of Old Town, Chicago Housing Authority, FitzGerald Associates Architects, and Holsten Real Estate Development Corporation, Chicago, Illinois
• Smart Growth & Green Building: Tempe Transportation Center, City of Tempe and Architekton + Otak, Tempe, Arizona

Continuing achievements of past award winners recognized by the EPA:

• City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County, California, 2002 Award Winner, recognized for the Transit-Oriented Development Housing Incentive Program which has allocated more than $3.1 million for local transportation projects.
• City of Greensboro, North Carolina, 2004 Award Winner, recognized for the nearly completed redevelopment of the mixed-use Southside neighborhood.
• Wake County Public School System/City of Raleigh, North Carolina, 2003 Award Winner, recognized for The Moore Square Museums Magnet Middle School for continued partnerships with local museums, businesses and the like, giving students hands-on learning experiences.
• City of Winooski, Vermont, 2006 Award Winner, recognized for complete revitalization of the once underused downtown area.
• Seattle Housing Authority, Washington, 2007 Award Winner, recognized for construction of low income residential housing build to lower utility use and therefore bills.

Is your city on any of the lists above? What steps has your local government taken toward environmentally friendly growth? Are you involved in any way in smart building? Tell us in the comments your experience with green growth?