AWARD-MASS 2006 Smart Growth
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS 2006 SMART GROWTH AWARDS
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
2006 SMART GROWTH AWARDS
The Office for Commonwealth Development is pleased to announce the 2006 Smart Growth Awards
program. The purpose of the awards is to recognize outstanding efforts to promote sustainable
development and smart growth throughout the Commonwealth.
Sustainable development, or smart growth, is about growing where it makes the most sense: in and
around central business districts or traditional city or town centers, near transit stations, or in areas
that have been previously developed for commercial, industrial or institutional uses. It's about
growing where there is existing infrastructure and utilities, within walking distance to schools, civic
facilities, retail or employment centers, and other destinations. It’s about promoting good design,
walkability, a mix of uses, protection of significant natural resources and equity. It's about
developing in ways that are consistent with the Commonwealth’s sustainable development
principles 1 .
SMART GROWTH AWARD CATEGORIES
The Smart Growth Awards will honor selected nominees in the following categories:
Smart growth development projects that have been completed within the last two years
Adoption of innovative land use plans, zoning plans or urban designs that advance smart
growth within the last two years.
Acquisition, protection or creation of open space, conservation or recreation areas that
advance smart growth within the last two years
SMART GROWTH AWARD ELIGIBILITY
Eligible projects must be located within the Commonwealth. Entries must be submitted by a public
sector entity. Public sector entities include not only all levels of elected governments – from city
councils to state legislatures – and constituent parts (such as planning departments and other
executive branch divisions), but also other entities such as transit agencies or economic development
commissions. Public sector entities are not precluded from nominating their own project or planning
effort for an award.
Eligible projects and planning efforts seeking support through one or more of the following
Commonwealth Capital (CC) Programs 2 and related technical assistance grant programs are
encouraged to apply:
• Public Works Economic Development Program
1 The sustainable development principles can be found at http://www.mass.gov/ocd.
2 Information on Commonwealth Capital Programs and related technical assistance grants can be found at
http://www.mass.gov/commcap.
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• Community Development Action Grants
• Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Infrastructure and Housing Support Program
• Commercial Area Transit Node Housing Program (CATNHP)
• Self-Help Program
• Urban Self-Help Program
• Agricultural Preservation Restriction Program
• State Revolving Fund
• Executive Office or Environmental Affairs (EOEA) Brownfield Grants Program
• Urban River Visions Grant Program
• Smart Growth Technical Assistance Grants
• Priority Development Fund
SMART GROWTH AWARD SELECTION CRITERIA
An award selection team will evaluate all entries and select the award winners based on overall
effectiveness in emphasizing and advancing the sustainable development principles 3 .
All entries will also be asked to provide information and will be evaluated on the following elements:
• Level of public involvement
• Collaboration and partnerships
• Number and diversity of groups involved
• Local approval of acquisition or zoning changes, etc., if applicable
• Amount of money leveraged
• State Model
• Replicability
• Cost/Efficiency - where easily determined
• Public Benefit
• Measures of success (i.e. new growth brought to downtown, full occupancy of using space
above storefronts, increase in ridership of public transportation, etc.)
• Impacts on surrounding resources/environment
The award selection team will compare entries from similarly sized communities and consider the
location and size of the involved communities to allow a balanced geographical distribution of awards
that represent a mix of rural, suburban and urban projects.
HOW TO APPLY
Entries for the Smart Growth Awards must include a completed entry form, responses to the award
questions and additional contact information (see attached).
In addition to the entry form, questions and contact information, applicants may submit supporting
documentation such as a locus map, photographs, CDs, videotapes, written materials (e.g., an
3 The Sustainable Development Principles can be found at http://www.mass.gov/ocd
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evaluation of the outcomes of the project, policy, program, etc.; project literature; development plans;
press releases or articles; copies of the state, local, or tribal policy), and any other information that
may assist the selection team in making award decisions. Electronic files containing images or other
supporting material are encouraged where appropriate. If paper entries are submitted please send
four (4) copies of the entire package.
Deadline: Entries for Smart Growth Awards are due by 5:00pm on Wednesday November 1, 2006
with winners announced on December 1, 2006. Award winners will be recognized at the Smart
Growth Conference on December 1st 2006 at the DCU center in Worcester, MA.
Three options are available for submittal of award entries:
By mail: Smart Growth Awards, Office for Commonwealth Development, 100 Cambridge Street,
Suite 1010, Boston, MA 02114;
By email: Send to Lauren.Curtis@state.ma.us and;
By fax: Send cover sheet to Lauren Curtis at 617-573-1399
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Please contact Robert Mitchell or Lauren Curtis if you have any questions about the Smart Growth
Awards. They may both be reached at 617-573-1380 or by email at robert.mitchell@state.ma.us and
lauren.curtis@state.ma.us respectively.
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COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
SMART GROWTH AWARD
ENTRY FORM
Please type or print neatly in black ink. You may attach additional pages as necessary or retype the
application as long as it contains all of the information required.
Nominee Information:
Name:_______________________________________ Title:_______________________________
Organization:_______________________________________________________________________
Address:___________________________________________________________________________
Email:___________________________ Telephone and Fax:________________________________
ENTRY INFORMATION
Award Category: (check one)
Smart growth development project Innovative land use, zoning or urban design initiative
Acquisition, protection or creation of open space/conservation
Identify and very briefly describe (name, location) the nominated project, planning effort or
organization:
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Contact Information (if different from nominee information):
Contact Name:__________________________________ Contact Title:_________________________
Organization:_________________________________________________________________________
Address:______________________________________________________________________________
Email:_______________________________________________________________________________
Telephone and Fax:____________________________________________________________________
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Supplemental Materials (If you are submitting supplemental materials, please list below and attach
additional sheet if necessary)
1.___________________________________________________________________________________
2.___________________________________________________________________________________
3.___________________________________________________________________________________
4.___________________________________________________________________________________
5.___________________________________________________________________________________
AWARD QUESTIONS
Please answer all of the questions listed below within the word limits specified after each question.
Applications that exceed the word limits will not be considered.
Nomination – List the project, zoning technique, design plan, open space initiative or organization
that you are nominating for this award (25 words)
Description – Describe the project, plan or initiative (including a brief description of the community
involved with an estimate of the population size), or organization nominated and the innovativeness
of the project, plan or organization. (500 words)
Partnerships/community support – What partnerships were (or are proposed to be) involved and what
role did (or will) they play? To what extent was the community involved and in what manner? (300
words)
Transferability – To what extent could other communities within the Commonwealth use this? How
can this be used as a resource or learning tool for other communities/entities? (300 words)
Smart Growth Advancement – How effective is this effort in advancing the Commonwealth’s
sustainable development principles 4 ? Which of the sustainable development principles are addressed
and how? Is it part of a broader Smart Growth strategy? What impact has it had and what are its
indicators of success? Try to be as specific as possible. For example, you could cite: the number of
new or rehabilitated affordable housing units; the acres of open space protected or made available for
recreation; the square footage of commercial or retail development; the number of jobs created; or the
increase in transit, bicycle and other alternative transportations modes. (300 words)
4 The Sustainable Development Principles can be found at http://www.mass.gov/ocd
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ADDITIONAL CONTACT INFORMATION
It may be necessary for judges to gather additional information about projects, planning efforts or
organizations before making a decision. Please list the names and contact information for three
people who can provide additional information. In order for the Award Selection Team to get a broad
understanding of the project, planning effort or organization, it would be helpful if the contacts came
from different perspectives and entities. Potential references could be local stakeholders, partners
from the private or non-profit sector, funders, elected officials, or other persons with substantial
knowledge of the entry.
Reference #1
Name: ______________________________________________________________________________
Title: _______________________________________________________________________________
Organization: ___________________________________________________________ _____________
Address: _________________________________________________________________________
Telephone: _________________________________________________________________________
Fax: _________________________________________________________________________
E-mail: _________________________________________________________________________
Please briefly describe the person’s relevance to the application:
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Reference #2
Name: ______________________________________________________________________________
Title: _______________________________________________________________________________
Organization: ___________________________________________________________ _____________
Address: _________________________________________________________________________
Telephone: _________________________________________________________________________
Fax: _________________________________________________________________________
E-mail: _________________________________________________________________________
Please briefly describe the person’s relevance to the application:
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Reference #3
Name: ______________________________________________________________________________
Title: _______________________________________________________________________________
Organization: ___________________________________________________________ _____________
Address: _________________________________________________________________________
Telephone: _________________________________________________________________________
Fax: _________________________________________________________________________
E-mail: _________________________________________________________________________
Please briefly describe the person’s relevance to the application:
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
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