by Brianna Crandall — December 6, 2010—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized five projects on December 1 with the 2010 National Award for Smart Growth Achievement for their comprehensive approach to improving quality of life. The projects make cities safer and more pleasant for pedestrians and bicyclists, manage growth to ensure long-term prosperity and health, and revitalize existing neighborhoods to provide new opportunities, says EPA.
The recipients of the 2010 National Award for Smart Growth Achievement are:
- Overall Excellence: Smart.Growth@NYC, New York, NY, for PlaNYC 2030, New York City’s blueprint for planning future growth;
- Smart Growth and Green Building: Miller’s Court, Baltimore, MD, a renovated tin can factory that offers new housing and commercial space in the center of a neighborhood;
- Policies, Programs, and Regulations: 2040 Growth Concept, Portland Metro, OR, for its “Making the Greatest Place” effort;
- Rural Smart Growth: The Gateway 1 Corridor Action Plan, Maine; and
- Civic Places: Mint Plaza, San Francisco, CA, a formerly dilapidated city-owned alley converted into a public plaza and festival space, with an innovative stormwater system.
- Smart Growth and Green Building: Miller’s Court, Baltimore, MD, a renovated tin can factory that offers new housing and commercial space in the center of a neighborhood;
EPA created the National Award for Smart Growth Achievement in 2002 to recognize exceptional approaches to development that protect the environment, foster economic vitality, and enhance quality of life. The agency’s Smart Growth Program helps America’s communities turn their visions of the future into reality through research, tools, partnerships, case studies, grants, and technical assistance.
