I recently saw a reference to the Governors’ Institute on Community Design (GICD) on the Partnership for Sustainable Communities (PSC) web site and became curious as to what the Governors were doing. Source A. This reference indicated that the Super Three Sustainable Development federal Agencies (STSDA) (HUD, EPA and DOT) “announced support for the Governors’ Institute on Community Design…” I thought that was nice.

But first some background, the PSC is an inter-federal agency partnership of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) created in an effort to “help communities nationwide improve access to affordable housing, increase transportation options, and lower transportation costs while protecting the environment.” Source B. The PSC is a means for these three federal agencies to support “Sustainable Development” jointly.

The GICD web page provided the following information:

The Governors’ Institute on Community Design is a program run in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Smart Growth America. The Governors’ Institute was created in 2005 by the National Endowment for the Arts and was modeled on the very successful Mayors’ Institute on City Design.

Source C. Well the info at the EPA site indicated a little bit of a different relationship between the PSC and the GICD than purely that of independent benefactor and beneficiary. In fact a July 2012 press release from GICD suggests the relationship is a fairly new one. Source D.

And, who is this Smart Growth America (SGA) that the EPA (or the PSC) has partnered with to run the GICD? According to its web site it is “is the only national organization dedicated to researching, advocating for and leading coalitions to bring smart growth practices to more communities nationwide.” Source E. Smart Growth is Sustainable Development for urban areas.

Wow! According to the web site of the Mayors’ Institute on City Design (MICD) it was started / funded by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) just as was the GICD! Source F. But, who is the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and why do they care about [sustainable communities ]. According to the NEA’s web site:

“The National Endowment for the Arts was established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government.”

Source G. In discussing the GICD, MICD and the Your Town: The Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design it states:

“The NEA also extends its impact through partnerships with federal agencies, state organizations, and other public and private organizations in the following areas:”

Source G. It notes that the GICD is ran in partnership with the “Smart Growth Leadership Institute and the Environmental Protection Agency”, the MICD is ran in partnership with the “American Architectural Foundation (AAF) and the U.S. Conference of Mayors” and the Your Town: The Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design (YTCIRD) is ran in partnership with “faculty of Landscape Architecture at SUNY Syracuse and the Carl Small Town Center at Mississippi State University”. Source G.

The AAF is a “Sustainable Development” non-governmental organization (NGO) that is “dedicated to the vibrant social, economic, and environmental future of cities….” Source H. Yes the Three E’s of Sustainable Development.

AAF notes “The overarching goal is to equip these leaders [city leaders] with the knowledge, inspiration, and resources that they need to lead their communities to transformative change through design….” The transformative change is to that of the Sustainable Communities of Sustainable Development. It readily admits above all else is sustainability:

“To inform its efforts, AAF leverages its extensive network of city leaders and design innovators. Their collective experience and expertise is rich in depth and diversity, spanning such key sectors as building design and construction, urban planning, landscape, transportation, infrastructure, finance, and communications. Underlying all these concerns is a commitment to advancing the cause of sustainability.”

Source H. The Carl Small Town Center (CSTC) “is a non-profit organization within the College of Architecture, Art, and Design at Mississippi State University….” Source I. It is also a supporter of “Sustainable Development.” Its vision is to “… strengthen communities and to promote a prosperous and sustainable future by raising an awareness of the physical environment through research and excellence in design” and to “Promote regional planning and cooperation between communities” i.e., regional governance organizations and “Promote sustainable development.”

NEA notes that the GICD “helps governors apply best practices in managing the growth of large metropolitan areas” and the MICD “helps mayors of large and mid-size cities address their most pressing urban design challenges” and the YTCIRD “gives local leaders in rural areas the tools they need to wisely direct the physical growth of their communities….” Source G.

So my question is what is a federal agency mandated to promote the “Arts and Humanities” doing mixed up in urban planning and promoting Sustainable Development? And, why is it being dishonest with its front organizations? The Governor’s Institute for Community Design is in reality the Governor’s Institute for Sustainable Development and Regional Governance, the Mayors’ Institute on City Design is really the Mayor’s Institute on Sustainable Communities and Regional Governance and the Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design is really the Elitist Institute on Sustainable Farming.

I think we should try to defund the NEA again.

In Remembrance of Liberty,

Richard D. Fry
November Patriots
Patriot Coalition
Sources

Source A. https://www.sustainablecommunities.gov/

Governor’s Institute on Community Design

In July 2012, the Partnership agencies announced support for the Governors’ Institute on Community Design to provide enhanced technical guidance to governors seeking to tackle housing, transportation, environmental, and health challenges facing their states. Established in 2005, the Governors’ Institute brings together leading practitioners and academics in government, design, development, and regional economics to help governors and their state executive teams make informed choices about growth and development in their states. More information on the Governors’ Institute is available at: https://www.govinstitute.org

Source B. https://www.sustainablecommunities.gov/aboutUs.html

On June 16, 2009, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) joined together to help communities nationwide improve access to affordable housing, increase transportation options, and lower transportation costs while protecting the environment.

The Partnership for Sustainable Communities works to coordinate federal housing, transportation, water, and other infrastructure investments to make neighborhoods more prosperous, allow people to live closer to jobs, save households time and money, and reduce pollution. The partnership agencies incorporate six principles of livability into federal funding programs, policies, and future legislative proposals.

Source C. https://www.govinstitute.org/about/

Source D. https://www.govinstitute.org/2012/07/epa-hud-dot-partner-to-fund-governors-institute-on-community-design-help-states-drive-economic-development-make-better-use-of-taxpayer-dollars/

Source E. https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/about-us

Source F. https://www.micd.org/

Source G.

•The Governors’ Institute on Community Design, run in partnership with the Smart Growth Leadership Institute and the Environmental Protection Agency, helps governors apply best practices in managing the growth of large metropolitan areas.
•The Mayors’ Institute on City Design, run in partnership with the American Architectural Foundation and the U.S. Conference of Mayors, helps mayors of large and mid-size cities address their most pressing urban design challenges.
•Your Town: The Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design, is run in partnership with the faculty of Landscape Architecture at SUNY Syracuse and the Carl Small Town Center at Mississippi State University. This program gives local leaders in rural areas the tools they need to wisely direct the physical growth of their communities.

Source H. https://www.archfoundation.org/about/

Source I. https://carlsmalltowncenter.org/