The Rescue Starts Here

"Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America."

Barack Obama's Inaugural address

NRDC Picturing Smart Growth

The National Resources Defense Council has a vision about how it is possible to begin to remake America. It wants to use money from the stimulus package to encourage smart growth and transit. To help communicate their vision the NRDC have created this Google Map that details 70 communities that could be transformed into more livable, sustainable places, if development happens in a careful and forward-thinking way.

The NRDS map of the United States highligts 70 locations across the country that are ripe for transformative change. It is possible to zoom in on any of the 70 locations and see the satellite view of the existing site. The map marker for the location gives some context about the metro area, and presents a brief slide show demonstrating how each location could be converted, step-by-step, from sprawl, vacant property or disinvestment into a lively, beautiful neighborhood.

So, for example, the location shown in the screenshot above could, with very little investment, be transformed into this,