PD&R Edge Elist 10/10/2012

New on The Edge

Research:
Study Examines CDBG Loan Guarantee Program
Loans guaranteed by HUD through the Section 108 program expand the capacity of CDBG grantees to make meaningful investments in communities across the country. New research sponsored by PD&R explores how Section 108 funds are deployed locally in order to improve the program’s administration and to prevent duplicate efforts with other economic development programs.

In Practice:
Making Better Use of Underutilized Land in New York City
Strong partnerships in New York City have resulted in the creation of a new mixed-income affordable housing development in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. Sited on an underutilized parking lot, the Elliot-Chelsea includes 168 energy-efficient housing units in one of the city’s densest neighborhoods.

Partner Report:
UN-Habitat Launches the City Prosperity Index
Researchers at UN-Habitat are promoting the use of a new tool to measure economic health and prosperity in cities. The City Prosperity Index incorporates five dimensions — productivity, infrastructure, quality of life, equity, and environmental sustainability — in an effort to create a more inclusive measurement of prosperity.