GrowSmart Maine

10/14/2026

GrowSmart Summit 2026 Community Spotlights Announcement!

We’re pleased to announce this year’s “Community Spotlights.” During this portion of the Summit program we highlight organizations and municipalities that are working on smart growth projects and building community strength across Maine.

Join us on October 29th in Rockland (www.growsmartmaine.org/summit-2026) to explore their work through displays discussion, and bring fresh ideas back to your community. These are the projects we’ll be featuring:

10/05/2026

Well, that was a blast!

Thanks to all those who joined us in Brunswick and Ellsworth at our Meet and Greet events. GrowSmart staff and board members had a great time meeting smart growth friends old and new over a slice of pizza.

Are you hoping to connect with other smart growth advocates and practitioners? Join us on October 29th in Rockland at our Summit 2026: Building Community Strength (https://growsmartmaine.org/summit-2026/)!

09/22/2026

Our first get together will be happening this Thursday (9/24) at Flight Deck Brewing from 4-6pm!

Let us know you're coming by filling out this form: https://forms.gle/WFu5YwBo7D19UTvq8

That's right.. not one, but TWO chances! 🎉

Please join us in welcoming Leigh Hallett as GrowSmart Maine’s new CEO!

Thursday, September 24, 2026
4-6 pm
Flight Deck Brewing, Brunswick Landing

Thursday, October 1, 2026
4-6 pm
Fogtown Brewing Company, Ellsworth

These casual gatherings will be a chance to welcome Leigh and to network with others working to incorporate smart growth principles into community planning.

Share your priorities with Leigh and other smart growth supporters and enjoy a slice on us!

Interested? Take a moment to fill this form out and help us get a headcount: https://forms.gle/4zfiyFa8Z37ab5mk6

09/17/2026

We joined municipal leaders from Calais, Danforth, Houlton, Machias, Presque Isle, and Van Buren yesterday with partners The Musson Group, Camoin Associates, and North Star Planning to kick off Roadmaps for Growth.

This three-year initiative is aimed at helping communities take control of their economic development, setting clear and attainable economic development objectives, and designing policies and programs to achieve them.

We’re already looking forward to the next workshop!

09/11/2026

Calling all smart growth and multimodal transportation advocates!

The City of Portland, Maine unveiled its draft plan for the redevelopment of Franklin Street and it wants to hear from you. We're excited to see this project move forward, as it stitches peninsula neighborhoods back together while calming traffic leaving 295 as it heads into the Old Port.

The online public comment period will stay open until September 25th - check out the draft plan here and submit your comments here ➡️ https://www.reimaginingfranklin.me/draft-plan

https://www.mainepublic.org/business-and-economy/2026-09-09/portland-unveils-draft-plan-for-redesigning-one-of-the-citys-busiest-corridors

The plan calls for the removal of the large, grassy median that divides four lanes of traffic on the Franklin Street arterial. The design includes new bike lanes and sidewalks from Marginal Way to Commercial Street.

09/09/2026

If you're curious about Maine Preservation's Historic Community Buildings Grant Program, don't miss this informational session!

GRANT OPPORTUNITY: AWARDS UP TO $500,000 AVAILABLE 📣 On September 14, the Maine Historic Preservation Commission will be hosting an informational session regarding the second round of applications for the Historic Community Buildings Grant Program.

To prepare your application, we strongly recommend attending this workshop. Don’t miss the chance to pursue funding for preservation or restoration of a public building in your community.

⏰WHEN: Monday, September 14, 1 PM EST
🔗WHERE: Virtually, via Microsoft Teams; please email [email protected] for a link to the meeting.

📸Postcard of Old Meeting House, Alna Maine c. 1905; Credit: Maine Historic Preservation Commission

09/08/2026

GrowSmart Maine Summit 2026 Registration Is Open ➡️ https://growsmartmaine.org/summit-2026/

Each year, the GrowSmart Maine Summit brings together 200+ people from across Maine. The focus changes each year, yet the program consistently encourages networking to delve deeper into keynote presentations as we explore what each of us can DO as a result of what we’ve heard and seen.

This year our theme is Building Community Strength. Across the state, communities exhibit the knowledge, values, and care needed to navigate change. Through our Building Community Strength initiative, GrowSmart Maine has been connecting towns to learn from one another while delivering the tools that make action possible. Summit 2026 was conceived in that spirit, bringing people together from every corner of Maine to exchange proven strategies, spark new partnerships, and celebrate local resilience.

Key features of the day will include:

🎤 Keynote Speakers delivering remarks and engaging in thoughtful dialogue. (See our Summit page for more: https://growsmartmaine.org/summit-2026/)

🏆 Maine Smart Growth Awards highlight the projects, policies, and people contributing to a more sustainable and prosperous Maine.

💡 Community Spotlights feature smart growth projects so attendees can ask questions and learn from the practical experiences of communities from across Maine.

🚶‍♀️‍➡️ City Experience Tours offer attendees a choice from several curated walks in the downtown area before the reception to round out the day.

Take advantage of the Early Bird Rate - now available through September 30th.

09/04/2026

That's right.. not one, but TWO chances! 🎉

Please join us in welcoming Leigh Hallett as GrowSmart Maine’s new CEO!

Thursday, September 24, 2026
4-6 pm
Flight Deck Brewing, Brunswick Landing

Thursday, October 1, 2026
4-6 pm
Fogtown Brewing Company, Ellsworth

These casual gatherings will be a chance to welcome Leigh and to network with others working to incorporate smart growth principles into community planning.

Share your priorities with Leigh and other smart growth supporters and enjoy a slice on us!

Interested? Take a moment to fill this form out and help us get a headcount: https://forms.gle/4zfiyFa8Z37ab5mk6

08/26/2026

Community Engagement Opportunity: Provide Feedback to the Maine Data Center Advisory Council!

The Maine Data Center Advisory Council is hosting listening sessions for the work they’ve engaged with over the summer. If you haven’t gotten the chance to attend one of the earlier sessions on environmental considerations, energy, or community and economic development, recordings are up on their website.

The listening sessions on August 27 and September 1, 2026 will serve as an opportunity to gather public input that will support the work of the Council. This session will be held virtually via Zoom and will provide a brief overview of the Council's work to date as well as opportunities for attendees to share verbal comments with the Council. Written comments will also be accepted via an online survey. During the listening sessions, members of the public will have 3 minutes to speak and are invited to respond to the following questions:

💭 What recommendations do you think the Council should consider advancing, and why?

ℹ️ Is there additional information that the Council should consider as it considers recommendations for the state?

Sign up here to provide input:

The Maine Data Center Advisory Council (the Council) was established by Executive Order of Governor Janet Mills on April 29, 2026. The Council was formed to provide strategic input, facilitate coordinated state planning, and evaluate policy tools to address large-scale data center opportunities and....

08/13/2026

Nancy Smith has led GrowSmart Maine since 2010 -- seeing it, and Maine, through a tremendous amount of change over the course of 16 years.

In her words, "[t]he mission of GrowSmart Maine is as relevant, and perhaps more urgent as when the organization was founded 22 years ago. Navigating change in alignment with smart growth is critical given the new challenges and opportunities facing Maine communities. How to navigate a significant influx of people following the pandemic, as so many are choosing to live where they feel most at home. How will we create new and make best use of existing housing stock while keeping Maine’s productive farmland, forest land, and scenic open spaces available to Mainers and visitors alike? We have unanticipated challenges in evaluating appropriate siting and scale of data centers, seeking a process that brings municipalities to the table as equals to the developers to ensure the community benefits as much as other parties do."

Read her full thoughts here: https://growsmartmaine.org/blog/nancy-smiths-farewell/

Thank you, Nancy.