Planned Development: The New Model for Federal Funding of Community Projects

By Courtney Dunbar

"Would you tell me which way I ought to go from here?" asked Alice. "That depends a good deal on where you want to get," said the Cat. "I really don't care where," replied Alice. "Then, it doesn't much matter which way you go," said the Cat. -- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865)

If we don't care where we go or how we grow, it doesn't matter the method. Over the last century, the U.S. has seen it all when it comes to community growth. We've watched the rise of industrialism capture full labor forces in cities, only to close and destroy the economic base of entire regions, such as what occurred in Flint, Michigan. We have seen what was awarded as ingenious public housing constructed in St. Louis, only to be torn down a few years later due to its role in fostering appalling crime statistics. Roads have been constructed to get people quickly to and from without a single thought about what happens to the small town businesses and residents now skipped over by the new freeway.

Sprawl has accounted for record losses of entirely fertile farm ground with little benefit to the cost of extending infrastructure to sponsoring cities. More blight exists in the core of communities than ever before as residents choose to abandon redevelopment options for new construction, eating up the tax base for extending infrastructure to brand new subdivisions. All evidence shows that we have not cared enough to comprehensively assess our direction and make sound decisions that consider the implications of our direction on the whole community.

While, in some regards, it is apparent that the average American hasn't much cared about their direction as it relates to the whole, times are changing. It is difficult to find an elementary student who has not been taught the value of preserving natural resources. It is nearly embarrassing to enter a grocery store without bringing your cloth grocery bags for fear you would have to suffer the humiliation of leaving the store with your plastic bags filled with goods. Everywhere we turn, we see signs that state "buy local" or "farm raised" or "organic." Redeveloping historic inner-city spaces is all the rage. Alternatives to the automobile are being sought. Industrial prospects are seeking LEED designed structures and scouring their operating plans to become as sustainable as possible. Housing assistance programs have largely taken the place of multi-family projects for promoting social equality. Nearly everywhere, we are reminded to do more with less and consider the whole in our decision-making.

In light of these dynamics changes, it should be of no surprise that the face of the Federal Government Grant is changing to address development from a holistic angle. Rather than being individually concerned about the viability of a specific project to a community, our government decision-makers are now increasingly concerned about the impacts of community improvement projects on other facets of the community. For example, in the old days, communities could apply for funds to improve roads through the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the scoring for awards was largely based on the impact of the road on the vehicles using the road. Present scoring has changed, and communities are required to not only think about the vehicles using the road, but the housing that accesses the road, the businesses affected by the road, and the environment disturbed by the road, among other comprehensive factors. In the final analysis, the federal government wants to ultimately know how that road project fits into the overall goal of community growth before it awards funds.

We are seeing evidence of this form of comprehensive grant selection on multiple fronts. The Economic Development Administration states regionalism and cluster analysis as primary factors for grant selection. Currently, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Transportation, and the Environmental Protection Agency, along with a loosely involved Department of Agriculture, are offering jointly funded grants that combine livability, workability, sustainability, and transportation factors for community planning, engineering design, and construction.

As you consider projects for your community, we encourage you to proactively seek direction through formal planning processes to ensure a holistic, comprehensive approach. Communities are best-served by positioning themselves to invest in projects that compliment all community sectors, from social to economic to environmental and beyond. It has always been wise, but it is now necessary to be positioned well for federal grant funding opportunities.

Olsson Associates has many years of experience helping communities proactively plan for community growth. From helping determine community capital improvement program priorities to providing comprehensive planning and site design, our professionals can provide thorough, implementable plans capable of attracting federal funds to help complete build-out.

"Growth, for the sake of growth, is the ideology of the cancer cell." -- Edward Abbey, novelist

Thoughtful growth leads to progressive communities, informed citizenry, and increased economic opportunity. These practices now lead to federal funding. A lack of planning equals a lack of access to federal dollars and social costs that far outweigh the costs of planning.

We are ready to help position your community for smart, comprehensively planned growth and the federal funds to support that growth. Please contact Courtney Dunbar for more information.

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