Mid-South Regional Greenprint receives national award

A Memphis-made vision for increasing access to transportation and overall community growth has received a national award. The American Planning Association’s Sustainable Communities division presented GREENPRINT 2015/2040, the final plan of the Mid-South Regional Greenprint and Sustainability Plan initiative, with the Excellence in Sustainability Award for a Plan.

The 25-year plan calls for comprehensive coverage of green infrastructure, such as bike lanes, across Shelby, Fayette, DeSoto and Crittenden counties. Increased accessibility is one of the factors that affect issues of income, employment, transportation and neighborhood redevelopment.

GREENPRINT 2015/20140 is the result of a nearly $2.5 million Sustainable Communities Regional Planning grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. From 2012 to 2014, the Memphis-Shelby County Office of Sustainability worked with a consortium of over 80 organizations to develop the Greenprint plan, and the final version was formally released in February 2015.

John Zeanah, administrator with the Memphis-Shelby County Office of Sustainability, was presented with the award at the National Planning Conference of APA’s second annual Awards for Excellence in Sustainability event. “This award is a tremendous achievement for the Greenprint and Mid-South Region. It illustrates the value of bringing together our three states toward achieving a vision for our region’s future,” he said.

The Excellence in Sustainability Award for a Plan was one of eight awards named. Last year, the Imagine Austin comprehensive plan for Austin, Tex. took the title.