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Washington, DC (August 24, 2009) – The National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) today released its Federal Livability Framework: A Central Role for Regions. This report provides background information and recommendations on how to position regional planning organizations and their local governments at the center of a federal livability initiative that would promote comprehensive, cross-linked regional planning. The document also provides a sampling of regions – urban and rural, large and small – that are leaders in livability efforts throughout the country.

“The Livability Framework is a good example of the important work NARC is addressing in Washington on behalf of our members,” said NARC President Stephen Cassano, Selectman, Town of Manchester, CT. “This is an exciting opportunity to re-energize comprehensive regional planning and the work of regional councils at the federal level.”

NARC has been working to influence the U.S. Senate’s “Livable Communities Act” (S.1619), which would provide, through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), competitive planning and implementation funding for regional planning organizations of all sizes and make ups – Councils of Governments (COGs), Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), Rural Planning Organizations (RPOs), etc. – to perform comprehensive, integrated regional planning that addresses sustainable growth through strategic and coordinated regional transportation, economic, environmental, land use and housing planning, and implementation. It would also require collaboration among pertinent federal agencies to break federal silos.

NARC intends to use the Livability Framework in a variety of ways:

• to guide the HUD Sustainable Communities Initiative, which is provided $150 million in both the House-passed and Senate fiscal year 2010 Transportation-HUD appropriations bills, to promote integrated housing and transportation planning on both the regional and local levels;
• to reinforce the focus of the Sustainable Communities Partnership among HUD, U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA);
• to educate several committees of jurisdiction in both chambers of Congress;
• to guide federal legislative efforts, including a standalone livability bill, transportation authorization, climate change, etc.;
• to educate the Administration and specific federal agencies as they refine their agenda;
• to ensure federal efforts – policy, technical and programmatic – recognize and include regional comprehensive planning as a core element;
• to promote our member’s proactive work in this area; and,
• to engage our association partners.

To date, NARC’s Federal Livability Framework has been well received by Congressional staff and select federal agencies such as DOT, EPA and HUD, and has been included in the Congressional Record as a part of recent Senate Environment and Public Works hearing testimony on the Economic Development Administration (EDA).

Click here to access NARC’s Federal Livability Framework.