Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In

The Network is abuzz today with the news of the federal Sustainable Communities Initiative, a joint project of the departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development, unveiled yesterday by secretaries Ray LaHood and Shaun Donovan. Matthew Yglesias and Ryan Avent have weighed in, as has The Transport Politic, writing:

The announcement of this livable communities initiative is great news and suggests a new era of transit-oriented development. Though the program will not be funded separately, nor mandate density changes in cities, it will provide a centralized planning system that communities can follow to improve their livability and transit usage. Encouraging metropolitan areas to see transportation and housing as one, greater issue is a good first step.

At the very least, notes Yglesias: "For the past several years a number of jurisdictions who’ve had good
ideas have found themselves stymied by a hostile federal government.
Now we’re looking at a the reverse -- a federal government that’s trying,
as best it can, to actually encourage best-practices and lay the foundation for sustainable economic growth."

Though the news is not so great in Oregon and Colorado, where Bike Portland and Bike Denver report that pro-cycling laws are under attack, UrbanCincy and The Indy Cog are encouraged by new efforts to promote riding in New Orleans and Fort Wayne, Indiana. Plus, Greater Greater Washington wonders if the government should continue to subsidize highway rest stops.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Friday Video: Meet the Subway’s Straphanger-Free Trains

We've all seen them. Now, thanks to YouTube's "Half as Interesting," we can tell you the purpose of each one.

October 3, 2025

The MTA Is Headed To The Lab To Design The Ridgewood Busway

A filthy private road underneath the elevated M tracks could become a gleaming bus-first corridor.

October 3, 2025

Friday’s Headlines: Good News Edition

The Department of Transportation reports that traffic deaths are way down through the first three quarters of 2025. Plus other news.

October 3, 2025

‘Bean-Counting Street Safety’: Advocates Blast Gale Brewer’s Daylighting Flip-Flop

The Upper West Side pol's inconsistent safety record is getting a second look from activists who once supported her.

October 2, 2025

There’s Good Science Behind the Human Craving for Livable Streets

It's time to understand the science of pedestrian-friendly cities. Or, why streets should be designed like gardens.

October 2, 2025

Thursday’s Headlines: Mourning Becomes Enforcement Edition

Why were cops ticketing cyclists at the very intersection where a bike rider was killed by a driver on Saturday? Plus other news.

October 2, 2025
See all posts