91ÊÓƵ

The U.S. Senate held this week its first hearing on a bill that would reward metropolitan areas grant money for creating what the bill calls “livable communities.”

During the first reading, Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., the author of , described living communities as communities that successfully combine housing development, public transit, infrastructure and land-use planning into their city development process.

The grants would be awarded to cities for projects that would create livable communities. The bill would authorize $100 million a year through 2013 for planning grants. Another $3.75 billion would be allotted once to fund implementation grants through 2013.

The bill would also help fund the creation of an inter-agency office on sustainable communities and an office of sustainable housing and communities. Both would be housed within the executive branch.

A similar bill was proposed to the House of Representatives in February as , Urban Revitalization and Livable Communities Act. But the bill has yet to go under vote.