The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for the fourth annual National Award for Smart Growth Achievement. This competition is open to local or state governments and other public sector entities that have used the principles of smart growth to create better places.

Smart growth development serves the economy, the community, and the environment. Smart growth approaches to development create clear environmental benefits, including improved air and water quality, preservation of critical habitat and open space, and more cleanup and re-use of brownfield sites.

This year, applications will be accepted in five categories:
· Built Projects
· Policies and Regulations
· Small Communities
· Military Base Redevelopment
· Overall Excellence in Smart Growth

Interested parties are encouraged to submit applications for smart growth activities that have shown significant activity between May 19, 2000, and May 18, 2005. Successful applicants will have incorporated the principles of smart growth to create places that respect community culture and the environment, foster economic development, and enhance quality of life and public health.

Applications are due on May 18, 2005. Up to five winners will be recognized at a ceremony in Washington, DC, in November 2005.

For more details about the National Award for Smart Growth Achievement, including an application packet, visit: http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/awards.htm.

Interview with Lee Ronnning

Lee Ronning, Founder of 1000 Friends of Minnesota, was interviewed as part of the series: "Minnesota: A History of the Land" It was broadcast on TV local stations in the Twin Cities and will continue airing in Minnesota throughout March and April. View upcoming broadcast dates.

NEW REPORT by The Brookings Institution - Metropolitan Policy Program
Job Sprawl and the Spatial Mismatch between Blacks and Jobs; by Michael A. Stoll; February 2005
New research by Michael Stoll strongly suggests that job sprawl—low-density, geographically spread-out patterns of employment growth—exacerbates the racial employment divide in America. However, policies better linking job growth with existing residential patterns could help narrow this spatial mismatch.

NEWS RELEASE - January 27, 2005
Smart Growth Shareware Released
CD ROM Provides Library of Resources

Citizens and communities looking for the most up-to-date smart growth information now have a new comprehensive resource at their disposal Smart Growth Shareware.

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