Nominations accepted until April 30, 2012

 What makes your community a great place to live?  A great historic building that has been renovated for re-use?  A school that has incorporated green building practices?  A neighborhood or housing development where you can walk to shops, jobs, and school?  Whether it is a brand new project or one that has been around for years, nominate your favorite example of smart growth today!

Idaho Smart Growth is now accepting nominations for their eight annual Grow Smart awards.   Idaho Smart Growth’s Grow Smart awards recognize the innovative work of communities, builders, planners, architects, organizations, and developers whose work exemplifies smart growth principles. 

Winners are selected by the Grow Smart Awards Jury, a diverse group of community leaders and professionals knowledgeable about Smart Growth principles.

The jury evaluates nominated development projects using smart growth principles as identified. Smart growth principles include:

• Provide a variety of Transportation Choices
• Mix Land Uses

• Create a range of housing opportunities and choices
• Create walk-able neighborhoods
• Foster distinctive communities with a strong sense of place
• Make development decisions predictable, fair, and cost-effective
• Preserve open space, parks, farmland, natural beauty, and environmentally critical areas 
• Strengthen and direct development towards existing communities

• Encourage Community and Stakeholder Collaboration

• Adopt compact Building Patterns and efficient Infrastructure Design

 Anyone may submit a nomination. It is important to note that ALL projects are eligible, not just recently completed projects. 

An application and instructions can be downloaded here or by contacting Idaho Smart Growth at 208.333.8066 or Rachel@idahosmartgrowth.org. All completed applications must include a $50 processing fee.

Past award winners can be viewed at http://idahosmartgrowth.org/index.php/projects/awards/

Assisting Idaho Communities

-         Provided direct assistance to 19 communities around Idaho: American Falls; Boise; Caldwell; Coeur d’Alene; Emmett; Fremont County; Hailey; Homedale; Idaho City; Idaho Falls; Ketchum; Kimberly; Lewiston; Moscow; Mountain Home; Nampa; Potlatch; Pocatello, Sandpoint.

-         Continued our work with 5 Active Living Task Forces to create healthier and safer transportation options in Nampa, Lewiston, Moscow, Idaho Falls, and Blaine County. 

-         Provided free technical assistance to Caldwell, American Falls, Kimberly, Potlatch, and Moscow to make it easier and safer for kids to walk and bike to school by implementing Safe Routes to Schools policies.

-         Helped Moscow, Idaho Falls, Caldwell, Nampa and Kimberly conduct bicyclists and pedestrian counts to assess the volume of users in order to better provide pedestrian and bicycle services.

-         Helped partners in Nampa open the state’s first bicycle boulevard

Building Coalitions

-         Maintained a coalition of more than 50 organizations and individuals who support transportation choices.

-         Formed a “Project Incentive” committee to identify ways to make it easier to get good development built, make the development process fair and predictable, and to encourage collaboration.

Presentations, Workshops & Classes

-         Complete Streets presentation for Active Living and Health Communities at the Community Transportation Association of Idaho (CTAI) Mobility Conference, Idaho American Planning Association (APA) annual conference, and six presentations in four additional communities.

-         Best Practice Policies for Safe Routes to School at the CTAI conference, Idaho Rural Council, Safe Routes to Schools and New Partners for Smart Growth national conferences and in five additional Idaho communities.

-         Healthy Communities workshops on public health and the built environment for more than 150 people in three Idaho communities: Lewiston; Idaho Falls; and Nampa.

-         Sustainable Cities class at Boise State University.

-         Additional presentations: Brokers Council of Idaho; Intermountain West Funders Network; Smart Growth America state caucus meeting; COMPASS Demographic Advisory Committee; University of Idaho class; Boise State University.

Publications

-         Citizen’s Guide on Smart Growth written and published in partnership with the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.

Events

-         Held our 7^th annual Grow Smart Awards event with over 150 people attending and presented 8 awards, including the Charles Hummel award to Peter O’Neill

-         Hosted a breakfast with Gary Toth, Director, Transportation Initiatives with the Project for Public Spaces

-         Conducted two “members only” tours of smart growth in the Treasure Valley

Building a Greener Idaho is produced through a collaborative partnership between US Green Building Council Idaho, The Bullitt Foundation and Radio Boise.

 Local decisions determine where schools are built, how big the schools are in each district, how schools are placed on their site, and whether there are good pedestrian and bike connections to the site. All of these factors have a significant impact on whether homes where students live are within walking and cycling distance of schools and whether students can get to the school easily and safely by walking or cycling.

 For the past two years, Idaho Smart Growth has helped over 20 communities around Idaho to advocate and implement healthy living policies.  In order to help community members engage in local planning decisions, Idaho Smart Growth recently published a new free and easy tool to help you.  Idaho Smart Growth’s Citizen's Guide can help create vibrant, healthier communities that include parks, stores, restaurants, schools, and businesses you can walk to from your home.

 With funding and support from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Idaho Smart Growth has developed this guide as a resource for citizens who are interested in helping shape the future of their community and for people who are concerned about a specific land use or transportation proposal. Our goal is to help you get started by sharing background information on land use and transportation planning in Idaho, suggesting some steps you can take to get more involved, and defining the basics of smart growth.

 Topics covered include “HOW TO HAVE EFFECTIVE INPUT IN REVISING YOUR LOCAL COMPREHENSIVE PLAN,” “12 STEPS TO ADDRESS ISSUES IN DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS THAT AFFECT YOU,”  “WHAT’S SO SMART ABOUT SMART GROWTH?” and more.  The guide also includes resource links and information about partner organizations.

 Limited amounts of printed guides are available by visiting the Idaho Smart Growth office (call first at 208-333-8066) and electronic copies are available here.

 (1) (Source: CDC 2005 and National Household travel survey)

(2) (Source: Surface Transportation Policy Partnership, Mean Streets 2000) 

(3) (Source: Surface Transportation Policy Partnership, Mean Streets 2000)

********* 

1.  City Policy Review

2.  Safe Routes to Schools Best Practices

For more information, contact Elaine Clegg at elaineATidahosmartgrowth.org.

Awards Reception: November 10, 2011
5:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Rose Room – Downtown Boise
718 W. Idaho Street 
Boise, ID  83702

Discounted ticket pricing is good until October 3!

Go to http://idahobusinessreview.com/events/growsmart/ to purchase your ticket or table today!

The Idaho Smart Growth board has chosen Pete O’Neill as this year’s Charles Hummel Award winner, which recognizes leaders who are exemplary in their dedication to and implementation of smart growth principles, reflecting a respect for place as well as for design and function.

The 2011 Jury had chosen the following winners:

2011 Grow Smart Award winners

1.  “Growing Closer”, Boise State University -Citizen Advocacy

2.  Hailey 2010 Comprehensive Plan Update -Public planning and policy

3.  Education Corridor, Coeur d’Alene -Redevelopment

4.  The Springs Apartments, McCall -Residential

5.  Star River Walk Master Plan -Small Community

6.  The Children’s School, Boise- Smart Growth and Green Building

7.Woodside Boulevard Reconstruction and Complete Streets Initiative, Hailey -Smart Growth and Transportation

The Grow Smart Jury included the following individuals knowledgeable about design, planning, and development that reflect these principles: Jenah Thornborrow (Garden City Development Services Administrator ), Charles Hummel (Idaho Smart Growth board member, architect), Diane Kushlan (private planner, academia), Andy Erstad (architect), Jay Story (developer/realtor), Jim Tomlinson (developer), Russ Dane (realtor), Chris Danley (private transportation planner). 

Read more about the November 10 awards event and the winners at http://idahobusinessreview.com/2011/09/12/idaho-smart-growth-announces-2011-grow-smart-winners/.

 
The City of Nampa is having a street fair on 18th Ave S to debut Nampa’s first Bicycle Boulevard.
 
Come experience a Bicycle Boulevard – one of the simplest, most cost efficient ways to provide active transportation options.

Questions?  Email Deanna at deanna@idahosmartgrowth.org.

Back at the office, Elaine headed to Minnesota to do a presentation on her Idaho work at the National Safe Routes to Schools conference.  Deanna, along with engineers and planners from Lewiston, Moscow, Nampa, Idaho Falls, and Hailey, attended a training on Bicycle and Pedestrian Design and Planning offered by Portland State University and the City of Portland.  Sandy made sure the office ran smoothly while everyone was out!

What did you do with your summer?  Visit any places that inspired you?  Great examples of smart growth?  Let us know- email rachel@idahosmartgrowth.org.

Volunteers and Auction Items Needed

At our Grow Smart Awards event each year, we have a small silent auction.  A volunteer committee coordinates donations and the auction at the event (in November).  Can you help, by either donating and item, or asking for donations?  Items should relate, in some way, to our work, or be trips/vacation donations.  Past items included donated architectural and legal services, landscaping, dinner at someone’s house, and a weekend at a yurt. 

We need 2-5 folks to help- email Sandy@idahosmartgrowth.org.

Grow Smart Awards 2011

The applications are in, the jury has met, and –soon- the 2011 Grow Smart winners will be announced! 

Save the date for the awards event- Thursday, November 10, 2011 at the Rose Room in Boise!

Idaho Smart Growth Around the State

While many folks think of us as a Treasure Valley organization, we do work around the state- probably more than in the Treasure Valley.  If you live in one on of the following communities, we’ll be coming your way this fall, so please contact the staff person listed if you’d like to connect:

Kimberly, Potlatch, Moscow, Caldwell, American Falls- Elaine@idahosmartgrowth.org

Moscow, Nampa, Hailey, Idaho Falls, Lewiston- Deanna@idahosmartgrowth.org

Idaho Chapter of the American Planning Association Conference: October 12-14

The 4th Annual APA Idaho Conference, entitled "Plan Vs. Food", will explore the economic, environmental, and social connections between food systems planning and land use planning and development in Idaho. Our goal is to enhance our knowledge of food systems planning and develop new approaches to increase the supply of and demand for locally-produced food.

No telephone registrations, changes or cancellations will be accepted. All registration changes and cancellations must be received by e-mail at confregistration@planning.org, by October 7, 2011 to be eligible for a refund. There is a $25 processing fee for cancellations.

PRE-REGISTRATION ENDS ON 10/7/11, 11:59 pm CENTRAL TIME. Please register onsite after this date.

https://www.planning.org/ecommerce/conference/viewConferenceDetails.aspx?conferenceId=163

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY for SCHOOLS

The National Center for Safe Routes to School is now accepting applications for 25 mini-grants of $1,000 each. These mini-grants support the goal of Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs, which is to enable and encourage children to safely walk and bicycle to school. SRTS programs are implemented nationwide by parents, students, schools, community leaders, and local, state, and tribal governments.

Mini-grants fund activities that range from the nuts and bolts that help start or sustain a program to new ideas that explore the range of benefits of safe walking and bicycling. Selected mini-grant proposals will fit a school's identified needs and interests around safe walking and bicycling. The mini-grant activities should occur between January 1, 2012, and the end of the Spring 2012 semester.

Applications are due Wednesday, October 19, 2011.For more information about the National Center's
mini-grant program, visit www.saferoutesinfo.org/funding-portal/mini-grants.

For more information about Safe Routes to Schools, contact Elaine Clegg, Elaine@idahosmartgrowth.org.