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This work area focuses on the region's urban core neighborhoods and the ways in which public and private sector investments can be better aligned to improve quality of life for residents of these communities. The neighborhoods of particular interest are those touched by the existing light rail line which comprise an 18-mile corridor referred to as TRACER (Transportation Corridor for Economic Renewal) for the purposes of sustainable development planning. The long-term objective of these activities is improvement in mobility, access, and opportunity that is measurable and sustainable across social, economic, and environmental dimensions. Staff uses an integrated and interdisciplinary planning framework to accomplish this end.

Map of the Transportation Corridor for Economic Renewal

The activities slated under this work area for FY00 promote seven core strategies for development within the corridor. The role of the East-West Gateway Coordinating Council is to promote and broker these strategies as part of an integrated transportation / development approach, and to provide ongoing information and analysis to support their relevance to the regional community. The strategies are:

• stop the erosion in the economic base of the Transportation Corridor for Economic Renewal,
• forge sustainable attachments between residents and employment centers of the corridor;
• increase residents' disposable income;
• improve home ownership rates in the corridor;
• strengthen social capital and community organization;
• create a transportation corridor for lifelong learning opportunities;
• link and leverage efforts to restore environmental quality.

Work in this area is carried out in close partnership with local, state, and federal agency partners; residents of urban core communities; area universities; and representatives of the business community.