urban planning

urban planning Sec. 701. To facilitate urban planning for smaller communities lacking adequate planning resources, the Administrator is authorized to make planning grants to State planning agencies for the provision of planning assistance (including surveys, land use studies, urban renewal plans, technical services and other planning work, but excluding plans for specific public works) to cities and other municipalities having a population of less than 25,000 according to the latest decennial census. The Administrator is further authorized to make planning grants for similar planning work in metropolitan and regional areas to official State, metropolitan, or regional planning agencies empowered under State or local laws to perform such planning. Any grant, made under this section shall not exceed 50 per centum of the estimated cost of the work for which the grant is made and shall be subject to terms and conditions prescribed by the Administrator to carry out this section. The Administrator is authorized, notwithstanding the provisions of section 3648 of the Revised Statutes, as amended, to make advance or progress payments on account of any planning grant made under this section. There is hereby authorized to be appropriated not exceeding $5,000,000 to carry out the purposes of this section, and any amounts so appropriated shall remain available until expended.