The U.S. Department of Transportation announced an award of $21 million for 64 communities to coordinate transit, mobility, and land-use plans and navigate infrastructure funding opportunities.

The Thriving Communities Program is part of a larger federal effort to provide technical assistance to poor and disinvested urban, rural and tribal communities. The first round of awards were announced in April for 64 communities, totaling $21 million. But instead of granting funds directly to cities, the program awarded money to four teams of “capacity builder” organizations that will work with groups of cities with similar aims and challenges.

Jared Brey