Services Current projects We support leaders in small and mid-sized communities through direct community support. Supporting leaders in small and mid-sized communities—in and out of government—to repair the damage of divisive infrastructure. With support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Smart Growth America’s Community Connectors program will support three city teams in repairing divisive infrastructure, improving safety on local arterial roads, and sparking the long-term partnerships and support necessary for making permanent reconnections.
The 2025-2026 cohort includes Akron, Ohio with the Summit Lake Community Development Corporation Baltimore County, Maryland with the Northeast Towson Improvement Association of Historic East Towson, Little Rock, Arkansas with studioMAIN. Learn about the damage done by divisive infrastructure Beginning in the 1950s, highways devastated communities of color and changed our cities forever. But the consequences continue, even as we begin to acknowledge our past mistakes. Why?
Our report, Divided by Design, examines the racist roots of our current transportation system, revealing that flawed thinking continues to haunt our policies and practices. Without a fundamental change to the overall approach to transportation, today’s leaders and transportation professionals, no matter their intent, will perpetuate and exacerbate the damage.
To create a better system, we can’t settle for small changes. We need a total shift in approach. Community Connectors: Free tools for advocates While only 15 teams/cities will be selected for this program, anyone advancing similar projects can tap Transportation for America’s Community Connectors portal of resources. (Transportation for America is a program of Smart Growth America.)
Whether trying to stop a divisive, destructive, and unaffordable freeway expansion, steer more resources to transit, or advance a Reconnecting Communities project to remove an old highway or make wide, dangerous arterial roads a little safer for people to cross, the Community Connectors portal decodes the processes, explains common terms, clarifies the important actors, and inspires with helpful real-world stories. 0 Celebrating progress: A closer look at our Community Connectors program News Get direct support from SGA! Smart Growth America’s technical assistance programs work alongside and within communities of all sizes and organizations to build support for policies and practices that will lead to healthy, prosperous, and resilient places.