 Healthy Communities Illinois
New web resource to facilitate learning and idea
sharing among planners
The American Planning Association - Illinois Chapter and the Illinois Public Health Institute are excited to announce the launch of HealthyComunitiesIllinois.org, a new website to facilitate learning, idea-sharing and connections among urban planners, engineers, and public health professionals. The goal of this "one-stop-shop" - the first website of this kind in Illinois - is to create an infrastructure where conversations and information exchanges can happen among urban planners, transportation planners, and public health professionals with the goal of creating stronger, healthier communities in Illinois.
IPHI is hosting an upcoming webinar about connecting planning and public health. Attendees will learn how various agencies are implementing strategies that include public health and hear from the author of Engaging Public Health in Complete Streets Initiatives. The webinar is Wednesday, August 28th from 2:00-3:00 p.m. Central time. Registration information can be found here.
You are encouraged to visit HealthyComunitiesIllinois.org, create a login, participate in one of our many Forums, and add this new tool to your planning toolbelt.
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Solar Power Hour
Learn about a new group purchase program for residential solar
The Grow Solar Partnership will be hosting a series of public information sessions over the next few months. These free events will teach the basics of solar, its financial implications for your property, and how the Solarize Chicagoland program works. Participants can also receive a free, no obligation site assessment from our competitively-selected installer. Kane County will host a Power Hour information session on Tuesday, August 13, 2019 from 7:00 - 8:30 PM. The event will be held at the Kane County Government Center, Building A County Board Room (719 S. Batavia Ave., Geneva, IL).
For a complete listing of upcoming Power Hour information sessions, visit the Solarize Chicago Power Hour webpage.
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Mobility Grant
The National Center for Mobility Management is now accepting grant applications.
Community Mobility Design Challenge 2019 grants, with funding from the Federal
Transit Administration, will support communities seeking innovative ways to address the particular mobility challenges experienced by low-income community members for whom a lack of transportation is an obstacle to the pursuit of economic, health, and social well being.
The goals of the NCMM Community Mobility Design Challenge 2019 are to:
- Support low-income residents and their communities in creating mobility solutions that improve access.
- Support the development of cross-sector partnerships that work together on transportation solutions for their community.
- Prepare communities to apply for opportunities for funding the implementation of community transportation solutions, such as federal transit funding, as well as other types of federal, state and local funding for which the designed projects may be eligible.
Eligibility
Six communities will be competitively chosen to receive funding through the Design Challenge 2019. Eligible applicants are designated or direct recipients for funds under 49 U.S.C. 5307, 5310, or 5311, or an eligible subrecipient of these funds. Eligible subrecipients under FTA programs include state or local government authorities, nonprofit organizations, and operators of public transportation. The applicant must have the capacity to successfully execute the project, and its partners should have the capacity to execute their roles successfully. The applicant should have no outstanding legal, technical, or financial issues that would make this a high-risk project.
Award
Planning grant recipients are eligible to receive individual awards of up to $25,000.
Deadline for responses: August 1, 2019, 9:00 p.m. Eastern time.
Visit the application website for additional information and to download the RFP. Address requests for assistance or questions to Alex King,
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Transportation Forum
The forum will be hosted by the Fox Valley Sustainability Network
The Fox Valley Sustainability Network will hold a Transportation Forum on Wednesday, July 31 at the Prisco Center in Aurora, IL. We will take a look into what Fox River counties are doing to make their communities more bikeable and walkable.
Speakers:
Ryan Peterson, Transportation Planner/Bicycle Pedestrian Coordinator, Kane County Jaki Berggren, Executive Director, McHenry County Convention & Visitors Bureau  Lindsay Bayley, Senior Planner, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning(CMAP) Maggie Melin, Advocacy Manager, Active Transportation Alliance Topics to be covered:
- Bike Share Programs Across Kane, McHenry and Kendall Counties
- CMAP OnTo 2050 Regional Transportation Priorities and Implementation Updates
- Recently Passed Capital Funding Bill and Transportation Components
- Chicago Metro Bicycle and Walkable Community Initiatives
- Updates on Complete Streets Coalition Efforts and How to Get Your Community On Board
Space is limited for this event. Register here now and reserve your spot.
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Kane Energy Efficiency Program
Program provides financing for energy-efficiency improvements for Kane County commercial real estate owners
The Illinois Energy Conservation Authority NFP (IECA) is pleased to announce that it has been selected by Kane County as the program administrator for the Kane Energy Efficiency Program (KEEP) financing for commercial real estate owners. The passing of the KEEP legislation by the Kane County Board makes Kane County one of the first Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) programs in Illinois.
Recently introduced in Illinois, C-PACE is an innovative financing tool that provides low-cost, long-term funding for energy efficiency, renewable energy and water conservation projects in commercial properties. C-PACE financing is currently available in 36 states and Washington, D.C. From 2009 to 2018, C-PACE programs have funded 1,934 qualifying projects for a total of $883 million, while also creating over 12,000 jobs.
"We look forward to working with Kane County," commented Mark Pikus, president of the IECA. "This is a great program for Kane County's commercial real estate owners and we intend to work with the local constituents to further educate businesses on the KEEP program benefits."
The IECA is uniquely positioned to assist the region in establishing successful C-PACE programs that will support greater economic development activity, as well as contribute to developing high performing buildings through installation of energy efficiency and clean energy technologies.
The IECA is a not-for-profit organization that was formed out of a commitment to bring KEEP-like program administration to the Chicagoland area. For more information on IECA visit www.iecaPACE.org.
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Community Data Snapshots
CMAP has released updates to its Community Data Snapshot library
CMAP has refreshed its Community Data Snapshot (CDS) library with updated and original data to help municipalities, researchers, and the public track progress and make informed decisions about their communities. These data-rich snapshots -- one for each of the region's 284 municipalities, 77 Chicago Community Areas, and seven counties -- summarize demographics, housing, employment, transportation habits, and other key details using U.S. Census, CMAP research, and other data sources.
CMAP has added original data to the snapshots to help communities put their data in context with ON TO 2050 and its goals in areas such as walkability, park access, and transit availability. Each CDS now includes data on 13 local ON TO 2050 indicators that show how each community is doing compared to both the region today and the long-term regional targets outlined in the plan. These data points will continue to be updated each year to show progress toward the targets set in ON TO 2050.
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