November 21, 2005—The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on November 16 presented its 2005 National Award for Smart Growth Achievement to five communities in California, Florida, Connecticut, and Colorado for innovative approaches to development that strengthen community identity and protect the environment. The communities used such strategies as: cleaning and reusing previously developed land; providing more housing and transportation choices; preserving critical natural areas; and developing vibrant places to live, work, shop, and play.
The award categories and winners are:
- Overall Excellence: Denver Urban Renewal Authority for redevelopment of an abandoned amusement park into Highland’s Garden Village, an innovative, compact, mixed-use community.
- Built Projects: City of Lakewood, CO, and the Lakewood Reinvestment Authority for the redevelopment of a declining shopping mall into a walkable downtown called Belmar.
- Policies and Regulations: City of Pasadena, CA, Planning and Development Department for their Central District Specific Plan and Design guidelines.
- Small Communities: Town of Redding, CT, for the cleanup and redevelopment of the abandoned Gilbert & Bennett Wire Mill into a mixed-use, transit-oriented neighborhood.
- Military Base Redevelopment: City of Orlando, FL, for redevelopment of the former Orlando Naval Training Center into a vibrant new neighborhood that will provide 4,100 homes, 6,000 jobs, and 450 acres of lakes and parks.
