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In March, the U.S. Department of Transportation and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced they were partnering to create an interagency task force charged with better coordinating federal transportation and housing investments, and integrating regional housing, transportation and land use planning and investment. Now, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has joined the partnership.

The agencies have outlined six "livability principles" they will use to coordinate federal transportation, environmental protection and housing investments at their respective agencies: providing more transportation choices; promoting equitable, affordable housing; enhancing economic competitiveness; supporting existing communities; coordinating policies and leveraging investment; and valuing communities and neighborhoods.

"It's important that the separate agencies working to improve livability in our neighborhoods are all pointed in the same direction," said EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson in a prepared statement. "This partnership provides a framework to guide decisions that affect all communities. This way, investments of financial and human resources by any one of our agencies will meet shared goals and confront significant challenges we all face together."