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U.S. EPA SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES Technical Assistance Programs

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Community Revitalization (OCR)

Since 2011, Renaissance has been working with the U.S. EPA, beginning as a consultant under their Sustainable Communities IDIQ contract, and eventually through a series of different contracts. Renaissance has been playing a lead role in the EPA’s various technical assistance programs, primarily for the Office of Community Revitalization (formerly the Office of Sustainable Communities), but more recently also with the Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization (OBLR). These technical assistance programs are focused on capacity building, conducting research, and developing communication materials across a broad spectrum of sustainability areas. Our team has been facilitating public engagement and workshops, while also creating and refining new tools for various community assistance programs for the EPA nationwide.

Community-Based Electrification Strategies to Promote Greater Equity and Enhanced Mobility (2022 - 2023)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Community Revitalization

In 2022, Renaissance was awarded a contract to develop a new tool to assist communities in their transportation electrification strategies, aligning them with benefits needed and desired by disadvantaged community members. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), and the Inflation Reduction Act are both once-in-a- generation Federal investments. Justice 40 made it a goal that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain Federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution. The benefits of these Federal investments can be holistic and address the needs of disadvantaged communities with intentional planning and coordination, however historically investments in electric vehicle adoption and infrastructure have provided more direct benefits to individuals and businesses with the means to own and operate electric vehicles. Therefore, the tool created as a part of this contract is designed to help communities assess how different funding opportunities related to electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure and other carbon neutral transportation options can more directly be used to benefit disadvantaged and historically marginalized and lower income communities. The tool presents the potential benefits of EV infrastructure investments and helps communities assess how these benefits can align with needs promoting greater equity and enhanced mobility.

Renaissance created and piloted this tool with the U.S. EPA, the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, the Department of Energy Vehicle Technologies Office, and Clean Cities coalition partners in Minnesota and Louisiana. The workshops brought together key stakeholders from throughout the two regions to develop action plans for the implementation of community-based electrification strategies to promote greater equity and enhanced mobility. The workshops included a community meeting and two stakeholder work sessions focused on the community’s EV transportation and mobility vision and goals and specific strategies for reaching them. As a result of the TA the two communities will have a clear understanding of the existing and aspirational elements of their EV charging and electric mobility policies and will have identified strategies to best match their community’s needs and assets specifically identifying any that may be eligible for a range of Federal funding. The Clean Cities coalition partners, and other committee members, will have a greater understanding of equitable engagement methods and be better equipped to identify and assess the needs of disadvantaged community members. Renaissance also filmed and produced a 5-minute video for this project that tells the story of how the new federal, regional, and local partnerships came together in Gonzales, Louisiana to help address equity issues and economic development around future EV infrastructure.

Fiscal Impact Tool and Smart Location Database Update
(2021 – 2022)

Renaissance developed a new fiscal impact tool and provided technical assistance to beta test tool elements for the EPA and the US General Services Administration (GSA). Using multiple data sets, we conducted an analysis quantifying jobs, population, and the types and amounts of roadway facilities available in microzones for every core-based statistical area in the US. The resulting data were used to develop a methodology that EPA and their partners can use to help communities better understand local infrastructure costs associated with new facilities and alternative development sites. Renaissance also updated the Access to Jobs and Workers via Transit (AJWT) database to reflect expanded and newly available data, as well as stratify transit accessibility to jobs, workforce, and residents. The data include breakdowns across employment industries, age, race, ethnicity, income, disability, status, linguistic isolation, and host of other demographic categories.

Infill and Smart Growth Strategies for the Two-Port Entry in Douglas, AZ
(2020 – 2021)

Douglas, Arizona was expecting a major federal investment in a new commercial port of entry facility four miles west of the city, and leaders were concerned that development around the new port would draw vitality and investment away from its downtown. In 2020, Renaissance helped the city develop a strategic plan to attract investment to the downtown area focused around four key strategies: lighter, quicker, cheaper placemaking opportunities; walkable streets; financial incentives to develop in a small area of downtown with the greatest near-term potential; and code and plan updates that encouraged development downtown. To accomplish this, Renaissance planned and facilitated a highly successful virtual engagement approach for the workshops featuring five sessions with key local leaders, state and federal officials, and business and institutional stakeholders.

Healthy Places for Healthy People Program
(2017 – 2019)

Modeled after the Local Foods, Local Places technical assistance program, Renaissance helped EPA to establish a similar program with an emphasis on integrating smart growth strategies with additional efforts to improve public health outcomes. In addition to addressing the built environment dynamics to support more active living, this program seeks to highlight best practices in leveraging health care providers as economic catalyst and key partners in holistic community development and livability. Renaissance delivered three rounds of technical assistance to 15 communities.

Local Foods, Local Places
(2014 – 2018)

Renaissance worked with EPA and a broad consortium of federal agencies (USDA, US DOT, CDC, ARC, DRA) in this program aimed at helping communities grow the capacity of their local food systems while supporting smart growth, place-based community, and economic development. Renaissance has led five rounds of this program which includes work in over 40 communities nationwide.

Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities Program
(2011 – 2018)

This program follows the same targeted technical assistance during a two-day workshop to communities across the country to help them implement a wide range of smart growth strategies. The Renaissance team supports communities to address different smart growth policy issues including: conducting walkability audits, advancing Complete Streets policies, equitable development, planning for infill, exploring sustainable design and development opportunities, and identifying preferred growth areas. The workshops help local stakeholders identify and create strategies to implement solutions that protect the environment, sustain local economies, expand transportation choices like biking and walking, and improve overall quality of life. Renaissance has provided four rounds of assistance, totaling over 100 communities nationwide.

Smart Growth for Communities Impacted by Hurricane Sandy
(2016 – 2017)

In 2016-17, Renaissance provided technical assistance to two Long Island, NY communities affected by Hurricane Sandy. This assistance integrated smart growth strategies, recommended policies and codes, and identified best practices and lessons learned that can be applied in other communities hoping to improve their resilience and integrate smart growth strategies. As part of this project, Renaissance developed the Community Resilience: Implementation and Strategic Enhancements (C-RISE) tool to evaluate local codes and policies and help communities build capacity for increasing climate resiliency. Renaissance provided support to EPA and FEMA to enhance the C-RISE tool (renamed RISE) and delivered technical assistance to upstate NY communities to enhance their resilience following flooding after Hurricane Sandy.

Equitable Development & Sustainable Design Technical Assistance (Macon, GA)

The Macon Arts Alliance (MAA) engaged community leaders and local residents to build a coalition of support for the redevelopment of Macon’s Mill Hill neighborhood. Macon-Bibb County and the MAA wanted to reinvent and revitalize this neighborhood, using an arts-driven approach to redevelopment, by creating Mill Hill: East Macon Arts Village (Arts Village) - a creative place making and community development initiative serving the residents of the Fort Hawkins Neighborhood and all of East Macon.