Geography
The Central Connecticut and Western Massachusetts portion of the Knowledge Corridor is stitched together by several large regional systems such as the Connecticut River and the I-91 and Northeast Rail Corridors.  The region has over 80 communities and 1.6 million residents. The Sustainable Knowledge Corridor region – located in southern New England – is characterized by its glorious burst of color during the fall foliage season; it is home to New England’s agricultural fair, the Big “E” in West Springfield; it has such attractions as the historic Connecticut State Capitol, the Wadsworth Athenaeum, America’s oldest art museum and the Basketball Hall of Fame.
 

Leading the Charge
Three regional planning agencies, representing some 80 communities in Connecticut and Massachusetts, partnered to apply for this grant and successfully recruited more than thirty diverse agencies to create the Knowledge Corridor Consortium.   This body will provide general direction to the initiative and individual members will supply planning and technical assistance on specific project elements, as well as cash matches and leveraged contributions to supplement the HUD award. In addition, several state agencies formally pledged their support to the project, and will be invited to serve in an advisory capacity.

The three partner Regional Planning Organizations are:

• Capitol Region Council of Governments
• Pioneer Valley Regional Planning Commission
• Central Connecticut Planning Agency

To learn more about key staff involved in the project, including contact information, click here.
 

Consortium
A Consortium Partnership of more than thirty diverse organizations—municipal governments, housing and community development organizations, economic development interests, educational institutions, and smart growth and sustainable communities advocates, has been formed so that we may better focus our work on the goal of building a sustainable, economically competitive, and equitable Knowledge Corridor.  This body will provide general assistance on specific project elements, as well as cash matches and leveraged contributions to supplement the HUD award.  In addition, a handful of state agencies formally pledged their support to the project, and will be invited to serve in an advisory capacity. Click here to view the full list of consortium members.
 

History
The Knowledge Corridor is a concept that has evolved over the last 10 years through the work of the Metropolitan Planning Organizations and the partner agencies of the Hartford Springfield Economic Partnership (HSEP).  These partners identified the interrelatedness of these three regions as a single economic unit tied together by a wide range of regional assets including:  excellent highway and air access, and soon to be excellent bus rapid transit and rail access; a concentration of population and employment; a well-educated workforce and a shared labor market; intellectual and research resources of the region’s 32 universities and colleges; businesses in historically stable sectors (finance and insurance) and growth sectors (alternative energy and health care); and exceptional natural resources that enhance the region’s quality of life, including the ecological, recreational, cultural, and agricultural resources of the Connecticut River Valley.

Grant Updates

The June 2012 status report on the work we’ve accomplished under the HUD Sustainable Communities grant to date is now available.  This report details the progress we’ve made on each of our projects. We are halfway into our three year grant. All of our projects are underway and a few are nearing completion.