Whatever Happened to Obama's Urban Agenda?

Although the Conference of Mayors might argue differently, Hanscom comes to the conclusion that, "Under President Obama, key federal agencies have begun to shift away from subsidizing suburban sprawl and toward reviving cities and creating dense, walkable, transit-friendly communities."

Hanscom points to the creation of the Special Assistant for Urban Affairs position, TIGER grant funding, the Neighborhood Stabilization Program, the Strong Cities, Strong Communities program, and the Sustainable Communities Initiative, to buttress his argument.

He cites the failure to pass a new transportation bill as Obama's major failing. "That's a lack of leadership coming out of White House," [Christopher] Leinberger, [President of Locus] says. "President Obama spent too much political capital on high-speed rail instead of looking at light rail, street cars, and the entire range of transportation alternatives."