Partnership for Sustainable Communities:
An Interagency Partnership of HUD, DOT, & EPA
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On June 16, 2009, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), U.S. Department of
Transportation (DOT), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) joined together to help communities
nationwide improve access to affordable housing, increase transportation options, and lower transportation costs
while protecting the environment.
The Partnership for Sustainable Communities works to coordinate federal housing, transportation, water, and other
infrastructure investments to make neighborhoods more prosperous, allow people to live closer to jobs, save
households time and money, and reduce pollution. Partnership agencies incorporate six principles of livability into
federal funding programs, policies, and future legislative proposals.
Livability Principles
Provide more transportation choices. Develop safe, reliable, and economical transportation choices to decrease
household transportation costs, reduce our nation's dependence on foreign oil, improve air quality, reduce
greenhouse gas emissions, and promote public health.
Promote equitable, affordable housing. Expand location- and energy-efficient housing choices for people of all ages,
incomes, races, and ethnicities to increase mobility and lower the combined cost of housing and transportation.
Enhance economic competitiveness. Improve economic competitiveness through reliable and timely access to
employment centers, educational opportunities, services and other basic needs by workers, as well as expanded
business access to markets.
Support existing communities. Target federal funding toward existing communities—through strategies like transit-
oriented, mixed-use development and land recycling—to increase community revitalization and the efficiency of
public works investments and safeguard rural landscapes.
Coordinate and leverage federal policies and investment. Align federal policies and funding to remove barriers to
collaboration, leverage funding, and increase the accountability and effectiveness of all levels of government to plan
for future growth, including making smart energy choices such as locally generated renewable energy.
Value communities and neighborhoods. Enhance the unique characteristics of ail communities by investing in
healthy, safe, and waikable neighborhoods—rural, urban, or suburban.
"...by working together, {these} agencies can make sure that when it comes to development — housing,
transportation, energy efficiency — these things aren't mutually exclusive; they go hand in hand. And that means
making sure that affordable housing exists in close proximity to jobs and transportation. That means encouraging
shorter travel times and lower travel costs. It means safer, greener, more livable communities."
— President Barack Obama, July 13, 2009
http:/7www.hud,aov/sustainabilitv
More information and updates on each agency's efforts:
http://www.dot.aov/livabilitv
http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth

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