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Grow Smart mourns the passing of Board member Fred Lipptt
Remembered as a beloved and selfless community
leader, Grow Smart mourns the loss of Board
member Frederick Lippitt, who died on May 11,
2005.
Passionate
about what made his native state so great, Fred was
a longtime supporter of the smart growth movement
in
Rhode Island and was instrumental in the founding of
this
organization. He provided valued counsel as a public
servant with vision and dedication to constructive
problem solving.
Obituary for Fred Lippitt
Grow Smart Board of Directors
Michael F. Ryan
Chairman of the Board
Susan Arnold
William Baldwin
S. James Busam
Joseph Caffey
Robert L. Carothers
Arnold Chace
Jen Cookke
Trudy Coxe
Peter Damon
Stephen J. Farrell
Thomas E. Freeman
J. Joseph Garrahy
John R. Gowell, Jr.
Stephen Hamblett
Robert Harding
Michael S. Hudner
Stanley J. Kanter
Howard M. Kilguss
Thomas A. Lawson
Dennis Langley
James Leach
Frederick Lippitt
Roger Mandle
Rev. James C. Miller
Thomas V. Moses
George Nee
B. Michael Rauh, Jr.
Gary Sasse
Richard Schartner
Deming Sherman
Merrill Sherman
Curt Spalding
James F. Twaddell
Ranne Warner
Sandra Whitehouse
Frederick C. Williamson
W. Edward Wood
Board Listing with
Affilliation
Staff
Scott Wolf Executive Director
Sheila Brush
Director of Programs
John Flaherty
Director of Research & Communications
Lynn Burns
Office Manager / Executive Assistant
Dorothy Dauray
Office Assistant
Linsey Cameron
Research Assistant
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Smart GrowthToolbox Topics
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Dear John,
You're among the 2,502 opinion leaders,
state & local officials, development professionals,
journalists and visionary citizens getting the latest
news, happenings and trends in the smart growth
movement from Grow Smart
Rhode Island.
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Grow Smart Releases '05 Legislative & Policy Agenda |
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From economic development to
neighborhood
revitalization, farm preservation,
affordable
housing, property tax reform and
transportation,
Grow Smart sets its agenda with the General
Assembly and the Administration on a number of
initiatives to strengthen our community.
According to Grow Smart Executive Director,
Scott Wolf, "We aim to raise the awareness
of the public and a broad spectrum of governmental
and community leaders about the importance of
encouraging planned, sustainable economic and
residential development in our urban, town and
village centers while protecting Rhode Island's
outstanding quality of life."
Read Grow Smart's 2005 Legislative &
Policy Agenda
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Nation looks to RI as model for Urban Redevelopment |
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Prepared by the National Association of
REALTORS®,
a new report entitled Urban Redevelopment
Success Stories
features a series of case studies that examine
seven redevelopment projects across the country
that have served as catalytic projects for urban
revitalization in their communities.
The
Alice Building in Downcity Providence is among
the case studies that profile successful urban
redevelopment projects and the tools used and
lessons learned. Among the findings was the
importance of financial incentives such as
historic tax credits.
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Revived urban fund helps finance pivotal projects |
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Although active in the marketplace for just 6 months,
the newly capitalized Urban Revitalization Fund of
Rhode Island (TURF-RI) has already provided
critical financing for two commercial real estate
projects aimed at expanding job growth in distressed
urban communities.
Led by veteran bank executive Michael
Saul, TURF provides technical assistance and
tailored financial products that make otherwise
unfeasible projects feasible. TURF used initial funding
from the CDFI Fund of the U.S. Department of the
Treasury to leverage additional funding from Bank of
America, Citizens Bank and Sovereign Bank.
The growing fund, now at over $2 million, is used to
make equity like investments to qualified developers
and not for profit organizations involved in the
revitalization of commercial properties in Rhode
Island's urban areas.
More
about TURF and it Board of Directors
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3-Year Plan sets Grow Smart strategy |
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Following a process that included an online survey
completed by almost 300 e-brief readers,
1-on-1 interviews with community opinion leaders
and a strategic planning retreat, the Grow Smart
Board of Directors has ratified a strategic plan
prioritizing activities for the next three years that will
do the most to ensure strong, vibrant communities.
The plan calls for an expansion of Grow Smart's
award winning municipal training program
and a major commitment to establishing a state
policy of targeting infrastructure, housing,
transportation and community development
investments to locally designated growth
centers. Continued work on incentives for
urban and town center revitalization is also
emphasized, along with a communications effort to
make the land use case for property tax
reform. Three areas recommended for some
increased emphasis are transportation,
project commentary and farm
preservation.
Download
the full 8-page Executive Summary (pdf)
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PBS to air documentary about sprawl in New England |
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Livable Landscapes:
By Chance or By Choice? is a one-hour
documentary for public
television that explores the transformation taking
place in five communities across northern New
England where people are struggling with tough
choices about how their communities grow and
change. Along with a viewers' discussion guide and
a teaching curriculum, it holds lessons for people who
care about their communities and the landscapes
that define them, and leads us to question our
stewardship of the land we are leaving for those who
follow.
Airing date: Thursday, May 19, 2005 (10:00 pm),
Channel 36
Click HERE to view a clip
Click HERE to get an
email reminder
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Editorial higlights need for zoning reform in RI |
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Excerpted from the Providence Journal of April 26,
2005...
"For centuries, in many parts of the world,
apartments above shops were commonplace. Today,
in much of the United States, having an apartment
above a shop is illegal. The town-planning movement
called New Urbanism seeks to build new villages and
neighborhoods in ways that were conventional before
World War II. Its toughest job is to change local
zoning so that civic arrangements that made sense
for hundreds of years are no longer illegal."
Read the
full editorial
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New report backs economics of historic preservation |
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Since it was first published by the National Trust for
Historic Preservation in 1994, The Economics of Historic Preservation: A
Community Leader's Guide has become an
essential
reference for any preservationist faced with
convincing government officials, developers, property
owners, business and community leaders that
preservation strategies can make good economic
sense.
In this eagerly awaited 2005 edition, author Donovan
D. Rypkema - real estate consultant and nationally
known speaker and writer - makes his case with
100 proven arguments on the economic benefits of
historic preservation.
RI offers statewide Preservation Grants
The Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage
Commission announces that applications are now
available for $1 million in State Preservation
Grants to
fund capital preservation work at public historic sites,
museums and cultural arts centers located in historic
structures. Learn more
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CALENDAR |
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Wednesday, May 25 (7:00p - 9:00p)
Sponsored by The RI Natural History Survey
and the Blackstone River Coalition.
North Smithfield
Thursday, May 26 (7:00p - 9:00p)
Presentation and discussion sponsored by the
WCRPC and the Charlestown Affordable Housing
Commission.
Charlestown
Wednesday, June 1 (7:00p - 9:00p)
Tools will be presented to help towns anticipate
and proactively plan for the impacts of commuter rail
extrension into the region.
North Kingstown
Saturday, June 4 (11:00a - 5:00p)
Sponsored by the Providence Preservation
Society.
Downcity Providence
Saturday, June 4 (11:00 - 7:00p)
Presented by the Apeiron Institute for
Environmental Living.
Coventry
Saturday, June 11 (11:00a)
Hosted by Woonsocket Neighborhood
Development Corporation and Northern Rhode Island
Affordable Homes Action
Woonsocket
Wednesday June 15 - Saturday, 18
Organized by the John H.Chafee Blackstone
River Valley National Heritage Corridor
Commission.
Blackstone Valley
* submissions for calendar items may be emailed to
John
Flaherty.
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New evidence to support smarter street design |
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For decades wide suburban-style streets have been
the norm in new developments. As the Smart Growth
movement gained momentum, emergency response
agencies, especially fire departments, expressed
concern about the narrower streets seen in many
Smart Growth developments. Their fears were that
these streets would slow down responding vehicles in
an emergency situation where seconds are precious,
not provide sufficient setup room for fire trucks with
ladders and "outrigger" stabilizer legs, and not allow
second or third vehicles on a scene to pass a
deployed fire truck.
The Local
Government Commission has prepared two
new fact sheets that address these issues,
summarizing the solutions that make safe Smart
Growth streets work for emergency responders as
well as residents. The first fact sheet "Traffic
Calming and Emergency Response" discusses retrofit
solutions and the second, "Street Design and
Emergency Response" looks at initial street
design.
Download Traffic Calming and
Emergency Response (pdf) - 4 pages
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Growth and development issues in the news |
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Statewide
Massachusetts
Burrillville
Cranston
Coventry
Hopkinton
North Kingstown
North Providence
Pawtucket
Providence
Richmond
Tiverton
Woonsocket
Westerly
West Warwick
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