Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Streetsblog Capitol Hill

Ford Foundation to Send $200M to Metropolitan Development

11:24 AM EDT on May 18, 2010

The Ford Foundation, created seven decades ago by a U.S. car industry scion, notably diverged from its past today by announcing a new, $200 million grant program aimed at promoting the local integration of transportation and land use planning and a movement beyond auto-based development.

Fruitvale_Village.jpgA "transit village" in the San Francisco area, cited by the Ford Foundation as an example of projects eligible for its new grants. (Photo: Bay Area MTC)

The foundation's president, Luis Ubiñas, revealed the move in a speech to local community leaders gathered at the invitation of the White House to discuss the future of the nation's once auto-dominant cities.

Ubiñas cited several examples of existing transit and urban development projects that would be good candidates for the foundation's five-year grant program. The Bay Area's residential-commercial "transit villages," Detroit's public-private M1 light rail plan, and New Orleans' push to rebuild its Claiborne Avenue corridor topped the list.

“When we look at metro regions and see pockets of serious unemployment
but also pockets of employment opportunity, and disjointed transit systems that
fail to connect people to the services they need and the jobs they seek,
it’s clear that a different approach is needed,” Pablo J. Farías, a vice
president at the foundation, said in a statement on the grants.

The foundation was established in 1936 with an initial gift from Edsel Ford, son of the automaker Henry Ford, and managed by members of the Ford family for several decades after its founding.

(ed. note. This post was corrected from an earlier version that referred to the meeting as taking place at the White House.)

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Tuesday’s Headlines Are Trending Down

An estimated 19,515 people died in car crashes during the first half of 2023, which is down 3.3 percent but still 19,515 too many.

October 3, 2023

What Do ‘Livable’ Streets Look Like in an Era of Driverless Cars?

Does a world of autonomous cars really have to make our streets less human?

October 3, 2023

Why Chicago Advocates Are Providing Bikes to Migrants

Unless funds are freed up from a larger entity, bike distribution to asylum seekers is going to stay in crisis mode indefinitely.

October 2, 2023

Monday’s Headlines Are Open for Business

Monday will be just another Monday for federal employees, as Congress avoided a government shutdown. Plus, declining gas tax revenue provides an opportunity to rethink transportation funding.

October 2, 2023
See all posts