Follow Up on Orfield Visit 2: Sustainable Communities Webinar and Other Comments on Metro Growth Plan.

After the Orfield visits I learned that Housing Land Advocates has also submitted comments to Metro on their Urban Growth Report and had included a recommendation that Metro adopt a unified policy that included land use, affordable housing and transit.

Also, I learned about a Monday November 9 webcast on Sustainable Communities and have pasted details below. Note time is 9 AM to 11 AM OUR time.

Topic: Webcast on the Interagency Partnership for Sustainable Communities

Date: Monday, November 9, 2009

Time: 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM Eastern

The webcast will provide an overview of the DOT, HUD, and EPA Partnership for Sustainable Communities and highlight its current efforts. Aimed principally at management and planning staff of state DOTs, Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), and transit agencies, the webcast also will be of interest to environmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, universities, and private-sector organizations.

Panelists for the webcast will be:

· Derek Douglas –Special Assistant to the President for Urban Affairs
· Beth Osborne – Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy U.S. Department of Transportation
· Shelley Poticha – Senior Advisor for Sustainable Housing and Communities U.S. Housing and Urban Development
· John Frece – Director – The Smart Growth Program – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

There is no fee to view the webcast, and we encourage participants to register at http://cte.ncsu.edu/cte/TechTransfer/Teleconferences/index.asp at least 24 hours prior to the start of the session. The CTE will also be sending out an announcement with registration information. If you have any questions regarding this webcast, please contact Shana Baker in the FHWA Office of Planning at Shana.Baker@dot.gov or (202) 366-4649. Although they will be receiving separate invitations, please feel free to also share this information with your State DOT, MPOs, and others who might be interested.