The Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) is moving forward with a groundbreaking policy to consider regional economic inequities when evaluating potential highway projects.

"A committee of the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency on Friday approved a new draft policy that would for the first time make racial and economic equity part of how it determines whether to approve new highway interchanges," reports Steven Litt.
The committee's decision to advance the new draft policy updates a story first shared by Planetizen in July.
Litt says that Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency's (NOACA) full, 46-member board of directors "should approve the policy at its next meeting in December."
Grace Gallucci, executive director of NOACA is quoted in the article touting the policy's new approach to regional planning in Northeast Ohio. The goal of the policy is to "assess as much as we can the localized impact and the regional impact [of proposed interchanges], and to bring the board of NOACA the information so they can make a more informed decision," says Gallucci.
Litt's coverage also includes a list of the projects that would be subject to the new policy. NOACA's ability to veto projects would now be informed by newly detailed quantitative criteria for evaluating interchange projects like those listed in the article.
"New criteria would include detailed cost-benefit analysis of regional impacts on municipal budgets, economic development, environmental protection, quality of life, transit and bike use, and racial equity — both in communities receiving a new interchange and in adjacent and more distant communities," according to Litt.
FULL STORY: NOACA committee recommends policy to evaluate highway interchange proposals on racial, economic equity

National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.

Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.

Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.

Test News Post 1
This is a summary

Test News Headline 46
Test for the image on the front page.

Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
The National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap uses GIS technology and land management strategies to balance military training with conservation efforts, ensuring the survival of the rare eastern regal fritillary butterfly.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service