SEAC

The Sustainable Evansville Area Coalition (SEAC) is a consortium of local organizations and government agencies working together to develop a regional plan for sustainable development for residents living, working, and playing within the tri-county area of Henderson, Vanderburgh and Warrick counties. The emphasis of this plan will be to establish a vision for our region’s continued growth and development that minimizes wasted resources while meeting the needs of a diverse population both now and in the future. This vision will be achieved through a series of projects, policies, and programs identified at neighborhood, city, county, and regional levels.

Funding: This three-year project was funded through the HUD Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant Program. The program was created to support metropolitan and multi-jurisdictional planning efforts that integrate housing, land use, economic and workforce development, transportation, and infrastructure investments. More importantly, this program will pave the way for new, and sometimes unlikely partnerships, across county and state lines, reducing some of the typical red-tape that prevents or delays much needed community projects.

Approximately $100 million in grants were made available through this program. Out of the 363 eligible MPOs (Metropolitan Planning Organizations) and COGs (Council of Governments), 225 applications were submitted. The Evansville Metropolitan Planning Organization was 1 of the 45 grantees awarded in the 2010 funding year. The Evansville region, with the exception of Lexington, Kentucky, was the only region to receive this funding in the state of Indiana and Kentucky.

Organization: The planning process for the Regional Plan for Sustainable Development provides plenty of opportunities for residents, agencies and local officials to participate.