USDA Rural Development and The University of Kentucky have launched a new digital placemaking toolkit for rural communities. This will allow leaders across America to access resources that will assist in assessing their communities for placemaking readiness. Placemaking includes plans to create quality places where people want live, work, and visit. This can be created[…]
13
May
May
The USDA and EDA have teamed up to offer assistance in improving communities as places to live and work. This new guide outlines the programs available to help community organizations access USDA and EDA resources to build strategies to boost economic development in rural America. The four focus areas are: Planning and technical assistance Infrastructure[…]
11
May
May
The need for industrial logistics space has never been higher. In compiled research by JLL across sixty US markets, vacancy rates for warehouse space is the lowest on record. Fueling this gap in supply is the fact that three quarters of the industrial warehouse space in the United States is twenty years or older. This[…]
06
May
May
In this episode, we talk with Tim Fields, whose brownfields experience spans decades. Mr. Fields served as the Assistant Administrator for OSWER at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, helping to create the brownfields program, the superfund redevelopment program, and more. He is now the Senior Vice President heading up MDB, Inc.’s Environmental Management practice. Mr. Fields provides insights[…]
25
Apr
Apr
As part of USEPA’s Re-Development Academy, part 3 of the 3-part webinar series focused on successful brownfield redevelopments in economically distressed areas. Each site story explained site conditions prior to redevelopment; the tools and approaches used to identify opportunities and constraints and reposition the property; market activities and how buyers were identified; and the deal[…]
06
Apr
Apr
Will Warren is on a mission to spread the word about the culture, community, and economic opportunity in Appalachia—a region made up of 13 states and home to over 25 million people. With a background in economic development, Will and his brother have launched a podcast called Appalachia Meets World that touches on a variety[…]
06
Apr
Apr
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the word Appalachia? Often people think of the challenges or the despair they have read or heard about. Growing up in the coalfields, Will Warren knows this story all too well: how an extractive economy and dependence on the coal industry has devastated[…]
04
Apr
Apr
Brownfields 2022 is coming up quickly! It will take place in Oklahoma City from August 16–19. The passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which allotted $1.5 billion to the EPA Brownfields Program, makes this a great opportunity to learn more about how to take advantage of this funding and best practices. Several members of Vita[…]
02
Mar
Mar
Today’s podcast features long-time brownfield redeveloper Jon Williams, who recently founded Viridi Parente, a company that manufactures electric-powered drive systems for construction vehicles and related equipment. Jon discusses his experiences in bringing environmentally-troubled sites back into the economy and his new venture creating greener forms of construction equipment and energy storage. More information on these initiatives[…]
02
Mar
Mar
Teslas and other electric cars have quickly become popular among consumers who want to reduce their carbon footprint without compromising performance. But what about other types of vehicles and equipment, particularly those made for industrial uses with large diesel-powered engines? And how could greener forms of energy be effectively stored to lower costs and provide[…]