Carol Ashcraft has brought this opportunity to my attention. This program is managed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which describes this program as follows:
The Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant Program (Program) supports metropolitan and multijurisdictional planning efforts that integrate housing, land use, economic and workforce development, transportation, and infrastructure investments in a manner that empowers jurisdictions to consider the interdependent challenges of: (1) economic competitiveness and revitalization; (2) social equity, inclusion, and access to opportunity; (3) energy use and climate change; and (4) public health and environmental impact. The Program places a priority on investing in partnerships, including nontraditional partnerships (e.g., arts and culture, recreation, public health, food systems, regional planning agencies and public education entities) that translate the Livability Principles (Section I.C.1) into strategies that direct long-term development and reinvestment, demonstrate a commitment to addressing issues of regional significance, use data to set and monitor progress toward performance goals, and engage stakeholders and residents in meaningful decision-making roles.
This funding opportunity is currently dormant--no new applications are, as far as I know, being accepted, and given the federal budget situation, we may not know for a while what will come of this. But Carol and I would like to alert you to the possibility that this may come open if a FY 2014 budget is, eventually, passed. We will update you on this, but, in the meanwhile, I think you have time to seek out and engage interested partners in this work to be ready in case this is revived.
The full link to this opportunity is at http://www.grants.gov/custom/viewOppDetails.jsp?oppId=109013
