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A new project will engage and provide funding to up to four U.S. ULI District Councils to identify policy and regulatory barriers to healthier and more equitable places and provide recommendations for local policy shifts and reforms. This project, led by the ULI Building Healthy Places Initiative with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is an exciting opportunity for ULI members to leverage their leadership positions in communities to explore and document problematic policies and practices, and to push for reform and change.
Working over the course of a year and a half, District Councils will convene Task Forces which will illuminate local policies and practices that make health-promoting development difficult or increase the vulnerability of low-income people, build a case that reform is needed, and prepare specific recommendations for shifts in policy and practice.
ULI and other organizations have helped illustrate the role that local, regional, and national policies and regulations play in hindering or promoting the development of more healthy and equitable communities. For example, zoning ordinances may prohibit incremental densification, permit development in vulnerable areas, or present barriers to healthy, affordable housing for low-income populations. From a transportation perspective, regulations may require significant amounts of parking, level of service (LOS) calculations may prioritize car travel, and transportation investment priorities may put sidewalks and other active transportation infrastructure at the bottom of funding lists.
At the same time, however, many cities are implementing innovative policy solutions and practices aimed at promoting physical and mental health and creating more-inclusive, economically vibrant communities. Working through ULI District Councils, this project will help cities identify problematic policies, as well as solutions and remedies, drawing from best practices implemented around the country.
This opportunity is open to U.S. District Councils only. Statements of Interest are due from District Councils by May 1, 2019. Please email [email protected] to learn more and request an application form.