The United States Environmental Protection Agency has recently recognized several municipalities for the Smart Growth Achievement National Award. The yearly award is given to community government policies and practices that foster and sustain sustainable initiatives to protect environment and health of all members while strengthening local economic development.

Award winning initiatives include areas such as transportation, energy-efficient buildings and housing, and developing green economy job training, environmental health education, and many others.

Some of this year’s communities of excellence are:

• Lancaster, California for their green-friendly design of Lancaster Boulevard into a thriving retail, commercial, and residential neighborhood. The inititative has brought in almost $300 million dollars and created nearly 2,000 new jobs.
• Mariposa District, Denver, Colorado for turning the economically disadvantaged area of La Alma / Lincoln Park into a vibrant, transit-accessible district that preserved affordable housing while increasing access to energy-efficient homes.
• Brattleboro, Vermont, Cooperative Building,for constructing an environmentally friendly, four-story green building on Main Street with a grocery store, offices, commercial space, and affordable housing rentals.
• Portsmouth, Virginia, Destination Portsmouth, for its strategic plan and review of its land development and use regulations to better align with environmental preservation while preserving historic neighborhoods and fostering economic growth.
• Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Northwest Gardens, for the development of high-quality, sustainable and affordable homes that have attained LEED for Neighborhood Development certification.
• Buffalo, New York, Larkin District, for the green-focused revitalization of the Larkin District, an old manufacturing neighborhood that involved architectural students working with developers and the city.

The winners were selected from 25 states who submitting applications for 47 different community projects. Winners were selected based on the project’s effectiveness in developing a sustainable community; fostering participation between public, private, and nonprofit groups; and promoting both environmental and economic sustainable development.

WasteCare Want You to Remember: As a business owner, government official or regular citizen, you don’t have to choose between environmental sustainability and making money. When you think outside the box, you can make green while saving green!