Livable Centers program earns EPA praise

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday recognized metro Atlanta’s growth and development planners for their anti-sprawl efforts.

The Atlanta Regional Commission, which divvies up federal transportation dollars among metro cities and counties, was one of four organizations that received the EPA’s 2008 National Award for Smart Growth in Washington. The ARC won for its Livable Centers Initiative, a nine-year-old program that offers grants to communities to plan for walkable town centers, links to mass transit and mixed-use buildings for condominiums, stores and restaurants.

The ARC says it has given more than $141 million in planning and transportation funds to 94 communities under the program.

One of the first recipients of a grant from ARC was Duluth in Gwinnett County, which used it to plan for new sidewalks and realigned streets as it revitalized its downtown.

The EPA said smart growth is good for the environment because it reuses previously developed land, offers more housing and transportation choices, preserves natural spaces and uses environment-friendly building techniques.

ARC and Cobb County Chairman Sam Olens said the program “is a catalyst for the type of change that offers metro Atlantans a higher quality environment that connects homes, shops and offices and enhances streetscapes and sidewalks.”