Reconnecting America

Reconnecting America is a nonprofit organization focused on promoting transit-oriented development, regional planning, and equitable access to public transport across metropolitan regions in the United States. Founded in the early 21st century, the organization has combined research, technical assistance, and policy advocacy to influence metropolitan planning organizations, local jurisdictions, and philanthropic foundations. Its work intersects with major institutions and initiatives in urbanism, housing, and infrastructure.

History

Reconnecting America emerged in the context of debates shaped by the legacy of James Rouse-era urban revitalization experiments, the rise of New Urbanism networks, and policy shifts following the enactment of major transportation statutes like the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 and the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century. Founders drew on civic leaders from organizations such as the Brookings Institution, the Urban Land Institute, and the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy to craft a mission linking land use to mobility. Early collaborations involved regional entities including the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (San Francisco Bay Area), the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, and advocacy groups like Smart Growth America and the Surface Transportation Policy Project. Over time, Reconnecting America established relationships with philanthropic actors such as the Ford Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the MacArthur Foundation to scale technical assistance and data tools.

Mission and Programs

Reconnecting America's mission focused on aligning transportation investments with compact development around rail transit and bus rapid transit corridors to increase access to opportunity, influence metropolitan governance, and reduce automobile dependence. Programmatically, the organization operated initiatives that integrated data analytics, capacity-building workshops, and pilot projects with stakeholders including Metropolitan Planning Organizations, municipal planning departments, and community development corporations like Local Initiatives Support Corporation. Signature program types included transit-oriented development (TOD) strategy development, equitable housing planning tied to transportation investments, and workforce access studies connected to Amtrak corridors, regional rail systems, and light rail projects. The organization also provided technical assistance to transit agencies such as Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), Metra (Chicago), and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

Policy Advocacy and Research

The organization produced research reports, policy briefs, and decision-support tools that informed debates in state legislatures and federal agencies, engaging with actors such as the United States Department of Transportation, the Federal Transit Administration, and state departments of transportation like Caltrans and the Texas Department of Transportation. Its analytical frameworks referenced demographic trends studied by the Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program and housing affordability analyses of the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. Reconnecting America advanced policy recommendations on finance innovations including tax increment financing used by Redevelopment Agencies and public‑private partnership models observed in projects involving the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The group worked with elected officials from metropolitan regions represented in forums such as the National League of Cities and the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Major Projects and Partnerships

Major projects linked Reconnecting America to large infrastructure and planning efforts: transit-oriented development strategy for the Atlanta Regional Commission around MARTA corridors, station-area planning assistance with the Sound Transit system in the Seattle metropolitan area, and an inclusive development program connected to the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's rail expansion. Partnerships included alliances with research universities like the University of California, Berkeley and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, collaborations with philanthropic intermediaries such as Enterprise Community Partners and The Rockefeller Foundation, and participation in national coalitions with Transportation for America and ITDP (Institute for Transportation and Development Policy). Reconnecting America also contributed to cross-border exchanges with international agencies including counterparts in the United Kingdom and Australia that manage light rail and commuter rail initiatives.

Impact and Outcomes

Reconnecting America influenced policy adoption and project design in multiple metropolitan regions, contributing to increased attention to station-area zoning, supportive parking policy reforms, and funding allocation shifts toward transit-oriented development priorities. Outcomes included guidance that shaped transit agency coordination with affordable housing providers such as Habitat for Humanity affiliates and financial structuring recommendations later reflected in local bond measures and state enabling statutes. Its datasets and decision tools were referenced by academic studies at institutions like Princeton University and Columbia University and used by planning departments to model access to jobs along rail corridors. The organization's legacy can be traced through initiatives undertaken by successor organizations and partner networks, continuing influence on metropolitan planning dialogues featured in conferences hosted by groups such as the Transportation Research Board and the American Planning Association.

Category:Urban planning organizations Category:Non-profit organizations based in California