Transportation Plans Garner National Awards for Two Area Cities

The Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) announced last month that the City of Alcoa and the City of Knoxville have each been awarded a free technical assistance workshop from Smart Growth America.

The awards were based on each city's efforts to improve specific aspects of transportation for their citizens.

Smart Growth America is a national nonprofit that promotes better cities, towns, and neighborhoods. It offers training sessions led by nationally-recognized experts, designed to provide local leaders with the knowledge and tools necessary to create vibrant, healthy communities that are environmentally sustainable and economically resilient. These workshops generally cost from $7,500 to $15,000, but each year, Smart Growth America awards a limited number of free sessions through a competitive application process. More than 120 communities applied for 14 available workshops this fall, and two of the winners are right here in East Tennessee.

The City of Alcoa was chosen for its commitment to making their community a more walkable, attractive destination. "We were excited to learn that the City of Alcoa was one of 14 communities selected to participate in this competitive program. This opportunity will provide invaluable assistance and further the City?s implementation efforts for achieving responsible growth," stated City of Alcoa Assistant City Planner Jeremy Pearson.

Efforts to better serve local mass transit needs led to the City of Knoxville?s award. "Through the City?s grant, Knoxville Area Transit and the Office of Sustainability will be able to strategically think through options for pursuing transit-oriented development in Knoxville," said Erin Gill, Director of the Office of Sustainability. "We are grateful for the recognition of our efforts by Smart Growth America, and we are excited about working with them."

In addition to the direct benefit that this technical assistance will provide to each city, TPO will use the workshop outcomes to engage other communities in the region, thereby spreading the ideas about quality downtown development and redevelopment to areas seeking similar assistance.

"This award is a testament to the hard work the Knoxville region has already done through the Plan East Tennessee effort," said Roger Millar, Vice President of Smart Growth America?s Leadership Institute. "Our program was more competitive this year than ever before, and the Knoxville region stood out as a community doing great work. We?re excited to be able to help them continue on to the next stage of their work."

More information about Smart Growth America, the Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization, the City of Alcoa, and the City of Knoxville is available on their websites.

Posted 01-28-2015. Written by Sarah Powell.