GUEST ARTICLE: As America finally gets around to renovating its decrepit infrastructure, sustainability & resilience are key goals State agency escapes silo by renaming “Office of Waste Management” to “Land Revitalization and Sustainable Materials Management” Last year, this state’s revitalization program attracted $439.9 million, 300 new businesses and 1900 new jobs to historic downtowns Georgia Tech students help with ecological restoration of creek in historic African-American South Carolina community Restoration Economy: Leaders celebrate how Clean Water Act helped reverse 400 years of Chesapeake Bay degradation in 50 years 11 non-profit organizations win $9 million to advance equitable, inclusive neighborhood revitalization in Seattle, Washington Good news for community resilience leaders: FEMA launches $500 million “Safeguarding Tomorrow Revolving Loan Fund” This small city of 10,000 folks in Oregon just won $5 million from U.S. EDA to help revitalize its historic downtown commercial district As California burns, this non-profit group just won $40 million to expand their river restoration and watershed resilience efforts Determined to redevelop brownfields in a way yielding equitable community revitalization, New Jersey seeks extensive public feedback A partnership with the Philadelphia Airport allows wetland restoration of the city’s historic 348-acre FDR Park to begin University research team wins $20 million to find better ways of protecting coastal cities via mangrove forest & coral reef restoration This partnership is ecologically restoring a degraded site near a historic fort on the Niagara River, while enhancing public access With Miami facing an existential crisis, the University of Miami offers a unique, cross-disciplinary course in climate resilience Seattle hopes $6.5 million will accelerate community resilience & net-zero affordable housing to help restore our global climate State makes historic $90 million investment to revitalize communities by enhancing recreation economies and restoring nature In Connecticut, climate resilience leaders celebrate completion of important 34-acre salt marsh restoration and trails project Restorative Ranching: In Oregon, this new international partnership has just launched America’s first regenerative wool program An abandoned school and a vacant warehouse are reused as affordable and workforce housing in two New York cities Brightfield: Illinois city gains tax revenues and resilient energy by turning General Motors brownfield site into solar farm Groundbreaking for $189 million affordable and supportive housing redevelopment of old hospital site is celebrated in the Bronx Seven new projects will restore California ecosystems, revitalize communities, boost climate resilience & improve public access Restoration Economy: This newly-restored island was famous pirate’s headquarters and contains historic, unfinished U.S. Army fort Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania celebrates federal support that puts city on leading edge of the energy-efficient building retrofit industry All across America, 21 regional revitalization coalitions win $1 billion to advance equitable, resilient economic recovery The revitalized, climate-resilient future of these degraded, 138-acre urban islands is being designed by four competing teams The oldest outdoor group in America has just purchased 27,000 acres of forest in Maine for $18.5 million: restoration comes next Dept. of Defense and Rutgers partner to develop coastal defenses that also help restore the ocean’s health & biodiversity South Bend shows how to accelerate infill redevelopment, boost affordable housing & revitalize neighborhoods simultaneously Affordable housing redevelopment helps Rochester, New York revitalize neighborhood damaged by bad urban highway planning
