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$4.25 million grant awarded to Kansas City region for Creating Sustainable Places
On October 14, the Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded nearly $100 million in new grants to support more livable and sustainable communities across the country. In a news release posted on its website, HUD announced an award of $4.25 million to the Kansas City metropolitan area, which is one of 45 regions that will receive funding through "a new initiative intended to build economic competitiveness by connecting housing with good jobs, quality schools and transportation."
This federal program is designed to support metropolitan and multijurisdictional planning efforts that integrate housing, land use, economic and workforce development, transportation and infrastructure investments. The Mid-America Regional Council applied for the grant on behalf of more than 60 partners.
The three-year proposal, called Creating Sustainable Places, would advance the region's vision of achieving sustainability through creation of vibrant, green and connected centers and corridors. The proposal represents the continuation of years of work beginning with MARC's Creating Quality Places initiative, Imagine KC citizen engagement process, and Transportation Outlook 2040, the region's newly adopted long-range transportation plan. It aims to put tools in the hands of local communities to enhance planning toward more sustainable development. MARC’s grant proposal calls for diverse neighborhoods with multiple housing options, vibrant mixed‐use commercial areas, and efficient transportation systems, all within a healthy natural environment.
David Warm, MARC’s executive director, commented on learning of the new grant, “MARC worked with small and large communities and numerous other stakeholders on a wide variety of strategies to address the fundamental elements of livability, including transportation choices, environmental health, social equity, housing affordability, neighborhood preservation, community health, and economic competitiveness. Our next step is to integrate these components by applying them to specific centers and corridors. We are eager to get to work.”
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