Atlanta, October 26, 2010 — The Cumberland Community Improvement District (CID) has been named one of eight communities in the country to receive direct technical assistance from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Smart Growth Implementation Assistance (SGIA) Program.

The SGIA Program supports communities that foster economic growth, protect environmental resources, enhance public health, and plan for development by providing the tools, resources and information to achieve their goals. Their projects will focus on coordination of sustainability policies, cities undergoing economic transition, infrastructure financing, historic preservation and incorporating climate change adaptation.

The CID will receive direct technical assistance from a team of national experts, including members from the EPA, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Department of Transportation, customized to the Cumberland area’s priorities. Through an in-depth site visit and a detailed final report, the multi-disciplinary teams provide information to help the community achieve its goals of growth and economic progress.

“We are excited to be a recipient of this program, and with the SGIA program’s assistance, we’re planning to create infrastructure financing programs for transit-oriented infrastructure in Cobb County,” said Malaika Rivers, executive director of the Cumberland CID. “This will allow us to explore options that will continue to improve the area, such as a high capacity transit system.”

The SGIA program is an annual, competitive solicitation open to state, local, regional, and tribal governments that want to incorporate smart growth techniques into their future development. Of the 158 letters of interest fielded by the EPA for the program, the Agency invited 30 communities to submit a formal proposal. In addition to the CID, seven communities were selected, including projects based in Washington, D.C.; Saginaw, Mich.; Wheat Ridge, Colo.; Chicago, Ill.; Salt Lake City, Utah; Concord, N.H.; and a statewide project in Rhode Island. For more information on the Smart Growth Implementation Assistance Program, visit www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/sgia.htm.

About the Cumberland Community Improvement District (CID)

The Cumberland CID, the first in Georgia, is a self-taxing district covering 5.5 square miles and encompassing the intersections of I-75, I-285 and U.S. Highway 41 in northwest Atlanta. The CID works with federal, state and county partners to identify funding sources for the bulk of area improvement projects in its $232 million portfolio.