Livable Centers Study Program
A Livable Center is a place where people can live, work, and play with minimum reliance on cars. Livable Centers are places with a mix of development types and a variety of housing options, which contribute to a community that is walkable, connected, and accessible by multiple types of transportation modes (such as walking and biking).
Modeled after similar programs throughout the U.S., RTC’s Livable Centers Study program provides funding to local jurisdictions and partners to plan and implement strategies that will see Livable Centers grow here in Southern Nevada.
The Livable Centers program was established in 2018 by the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) to encourage implementation of the Southern Nevada Strong Regional Policy Plan and the development of “Complete Communities” throughout the region. The Complete Communities concept looks at locating jobs, housing, transportation options, and community amenities within a reasonable proximity of one another, meaning that everyone has access to housing, economic opportunity, and healthy resources, regardless of income or transportation choice. Planning for Livable Centers is one way to achieve this goal.
Call for Projects
The Livable Centers program invites local agencies to apply through a competitive process to receive funding to develop plans that prioritize multimodal transportation solutions and employ more resource-efficient land use and development practices.
The types of studies suitable for the Livable Centers Study program vary, focusing anywhere from a district or neighborhood level plan to a corridor study, community node, project site, or on specific livable centers goals.
Examples of qualified Livable Centers studies includes (but are not limited to):
- District or neighborhood level plan
- Transportation corridor study
- Transit-oriented development planning
- Housing feasibility analysis
- Redevelopment market analysis
- Connectivity study
- First/last mile connection planning
- Equitable infrastructure analysis
- Placemaking planning
- Zoning analysis
The next call for projects is anticipated to occur in the summer or fall of 2023.
Current Livable Centers Studies
Henderson College Area Livable Centers Study
The College Area in southeast Henderson was awarded Livable Centers Study funding to conduct an update to the 2004 College Area Plan that will build upon previous planning efforts and encourage future transformation of the area into a Livable Center.
The College Area covers a 1,400-acre area, including the Nevada State College (NSC) campus and its planned future expansion area. The study area is bound on the north and east by Interstate 11 (I-11), the Mission Hills Neighborhood to the northwest, and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) property to the west and south.
The area was chosen because of its potential for future transformation into a town center with reduced dependency on automobiles. Much of the land to the north and west of the campus is undeveloped land owned by the City of Henderson, which means that it is a blank canvas with great opportunity. The area is also serviced by public transit and the Union Pacific Railroad Trail, which provide a foundation for increasing active and multimodal transportation options in the future.