Shelby County Gets $2.6M for "greenprint" planning!

The only location in TN and 1 of only 29 areas in the U.S., Shelby County will receive a $2.6M grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to develop a Mid-South Greenprint and Sustainability Plan. A lot of the credit for the award coming to the Memphis region goes to Memphis and Shelby County Office of Sustainabiliy and its new administrator, Paul Young.

The plan will address the critical need for long-term comprehensive land use planning in the region and demonstrate a citizen-based process. FfOR looks forward to being involved, and as planning gets going we'll keep you in-the-loop about meetings and chances to participate and share your ideas.


Here's information from the HUD website about the Grant:

Shelby County Government will be awarded $2,619,999 to develop a Mid-South Regional Greenprint and Sustainability Plan. The development plan will address the critical need for initiating long-term comprehensive land use planning in the region. Effective community engagement and capacity building are critical to the process and the project proposes to demonstrate a citizen-based regional planning process, driven by a consortium working in partnership with governmental bodies and the private sector to establish a regional vision and structure for ongoing engagement and setting goals for the major focus areas of the working groups. Once a vision has been developed and working groups have established goals and priorities, the project will advance to funding sub-area or topic-focused plans or pilot planning efforts from the regional to the neighborhood level. Implementation of these sub-plans is expected to occur through adoption of formal policy recommendations, citizen advocacy and re-alignment of budgets, capital improvement plans and investments/staffing.

Anticipated Project Benefits:
• Increased participation and decision by traditionally marginalized populations as well as increase in access to greenways, bikeways and other modes of alternative transportation including low-income and minority neighborhoods.
• Reduced social and economic disparities for disadvantaged populations in the target subareas, including gradual reduction in poverty levels and a measurable increase in essential goods and services in low-income neighborhoods.
• Increase in affordable housing located close to walking trails, parks, and schools and improved public health outcomes resulting from creating safer, more walkable neighborhoods.

Funding Amount: $2,619,999

Core Partners: The West Memphis MPO, The Mid-South Regional Greenways Steering Committee, ULI-Memphis, The Hyde Family Foundation, Memphis Regional Design Center, Community Development Council of Greater Memphis, Mid-South Peace and Justice Center