The Final State of the Union
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Summary:
The Budget proposes a series of coordinted investments around our three signature place-based initiatives.
The President’s Budget recognizes that, to win the future, we must make a strong commitment to strategically invest in our Nation’s regions, cities, and neighborhoods – indeed, it is hard to imagine out-innovating, out-educating, and out-building our global competitors and creating the jobs and industries of tomorrow without strong and economically vibrant cities and regions. At the same time, we recognize that the federal investments we make in pursuit of winning the future must be inclusive of all families and communities, so that the opportunities we create are widely shared.
With respect to the Administration’s urban and metropolitan policy priorities, the Budget proposes a series of coordinated investments around our three signature interagency place-based initiatives: Regional Innovation Clusters (RIC), Partnership for Sustainable Communities (PSC), and the Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative (NRI). These place-based initiatives represent a new approach to the way the Federal Government does business – by breaking down silos, catalyzing local and regional collaboration, emphasizing evidence-driven and merit-based investments, and supporting communities on the ground in more targeted and flexible ways.
For each of the three place-based initiatives, the Budget continues the Administration’s support for the signature programs, while also proposing new investments in critical areas. For example, the Budget maintains support for NRI programs such as Promise Neighborhoods, Choice Neighborhoods, and the Healthy Food Financing Initiative, for PSC programs like HUD’s Regional Planning Grants and EPA’s Brownfields, and for RIC programs such as SBA’s Regional Economic Clusters grants and EDA’s I6 Challenge grants. At the same time, the Budget proposes innovative and targeted new investments, like the multi-agency Neighborhood Revitalization Grants for NRI, DOT’s transportation reauthorization proposal that includes more funding for transit and a comprehensive livability program, and the new Growth Zones proposal involving EDA, Treasury, HUD and USDA.
The President’s 2012 Budget is a tough, but responsible, proposal that requires us to live within our means so that we can invest in the future. In the process, the Budget maintains our commitment to invest in our Nation’s cities and metropolitan areas, so that we can grow the economy, create jobs, and strengthen our urban communities.
For more information about how the 2012 Budget invests in winning the future for America’s cities and metropolitan areas please visit the Budget Fact Sheet on Cities and Metropolitan Areas.
