Revitalizing Older Cities
and Sustainable Development
Overview and History | Briefings and Events |
Reports | Resources
Preservation, Smart Growth and Climate Change
Sustainable Development, Brownfields, and Energy | Brownfields
Revitalizing Older Cities
Revitalizing Older Cities Task Force
The Revitalizing Older Cities Task Force within the Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition is co-chaired by Reps. Mike Turner (R-OH) and Brian Higgins (D-NY). The task force members represent a wide range of aging cities and towns throughout the region. The group focuses on an extensive scope of legislative actions that aim at restoring prosperity to the aging industrial cities throughout the Northeast and Midwest region. Below are documents representing recent issues and legislation that involve task force focus and support.
Spring 2008 Capitol Hill Briefings
Vacant and Abandoned Housing Briefing -- October 31, 2007
Preservation, Smart Growth and Climate Change
Northeast-Midwest Reports
- Environmental and Energy Conservation Benefits of the Maryland Historic Tax Credit Program, March, 2009
- The Environmental and Energy Conservation Benefits of the Maryland Historic Tax Credit Program, Executive Summary, March, 2009..
- Heritage Tax Credits: Maryland’s Own Stimulus to Renovate Buildings for Productive Use and Create Jobs, an $8.53 Return on Every State Dollar Invested, Lipman Frizzell & Mitchell, LLC (Joe Cronyn, Principal) and Northeast-Midwest Institute, Evans Paull, Senior Policy Analyst).
- Sustainable Urban Redevelopment and Climate Change - a joint white paper with National Trust for Historic Preservation, Smart Growth America, and Reconnecting America for the Congressional Briefing on July 17, 2008
Resources for Preservation and Sustainability
- National Trust for Historic Preservation, Sustainability Website
- Historic Preservation as Sustainable Development, Patrice Frey, National Trust for Historic Preservation, A draft white paper, October 2007.
- Historic Preservation and Green Building: A Lasting Relationship, Environmental and Building News, January, 2007
- LEED for Existing Buildings, US Green Buildings Council
- The Renovation of LEED-EB, Vanessa Wong, Architecture and Design, July, 2008
Preservation Projects Going Green
Resources for Measuring the Sustainability Elements of Preservation Projects
Neighborhood Stabilization Program
Reports
Northeast-Midwest
Reports
Other Reports
Overview and History
In response to a growing interest in federal action, the Northeast-Midwest Institute is working with members of the Northeast-Midwest Congressional and Senate Coalitions to explore how federal policy can help older core cities and suburbs with community revitalization challenges. With funding from the Surdna Foundation, the Institute is highlighting federal options for a range of economic and community development issues.
The Northeast-Midwest Institute presented some 40 specific policy options in its report on Federal Policy Ideas for Community Revitalization: Suggestions from Congressionally Hosted Roundtable Discussions of Federal Policies for Older Core Cities and Close-in Suburbs. The report highlights findings from 2005 roundtable sessions with Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, Rep. Thaddeus G. McCotter of Michigan's 11th district, and Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Ohio's 11th district on federal policy for brownfield and vacant property redevelopment, housing, water and transportation infrastructure, business and economic development, and energy. The Institute report, funded by a Surdna Foundation, compiles ideas from the roundtables and offers them for consideration by members of the Northeast-Midwest Congressional and Senate Coalitions and others. The Northeast-Midwest Institute will build upon the suggestions and ideas from these roundtable sessions to engage in ongoing work on critical issue areas and policy efforts important to the quality of life in older communities.
As a follow-up to a Capitol Hill roundtable discussion of predatory lending and federal policy, the Northeast-Midwest Institute, with support from the Surdna Foundation, produced an issue brief on A Federal Suitability Requirement for Home Loans.
In summary reports, the Institute also has highlighted existing federal programs important to community revitalization efforts for older communities. The reports feature information about:

Resources
Brookings Institute Restoring Prosperity Program
Congress for the New Urbanism
Environmental Protection Agency Brownfields Program
GSA
Urban Development/Good Neighbor Program
HUD
Community Renewal Initiative
International Economic Development Council
Local Initiatives Support Corporation
National Housing Institute
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
National Vacant Properties Campaign
Planetizen - The Planning and Development Network
Project for Public Spaces
Restoring Prosperity Initiative
Smart Communities Network
Sustainable Communities Network
World Business Council for Sustainable Development
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