Summary of NALGEP Project Findings on the
Views of American Business Leaders on
Sprawl & Smart Growth

from... 
Profiles of Business Leadership on Smart Growth
National Association of Local Government Environmental Professionals
(NALGEP), New York, 1999, pp. 4-5.

Interviews with business leaders and the observations of the NALGEP Smart Growth Advisory Council yielded 18 findings on business views of sprawl and smart growth.  These findings are discussed in the four broad categories described below.

EMERGING RECOGNITION OF THE COSTS AND IMPACTS OF SPRAWL

Several key factors are motivating business leaders from a variety of sectors to become active in efforts to promote alternatives to sprawl.

Finding 1: Business leaders are recognizing that quality of life directly affects economic prosperity, and that sprawl threatens the quality of life in many communities.

Finding 2: Business leaders are recognizing that sprawl threatens the health of central cities, which is critical to the overall economic vitality of metropolitan regions.

Finding 3: Business leaders increasingly are concerned that sprawl is making it more difficult to access, attract, and maintain a qualified workforce.

Finding 4: Business leaders are capturing the economic efficiencies of redeveloping areas with established infrastructure, rather than building the new infrastructure required to develop in new locations.

Finding 5: Business leaders are tapping the competitive advantage of smart growth practices.

BUSINESS ACTIONS TO PROMOTE SMART GROWTH

Across the nation, business leaders are beginning to engage in smart growth partnerships and initiatives that seek to promote economic development while preserving the quality of life and character of their communities.

Finding 6: Private sector networks are forming to examine and address growth issues.

Finding 7: Business leaders are becoming actively involved in land use planning.

Finding 8: Businesses are playing an increasingly important role in downtown revitalization.

Finding 9: Business leaders are promoting the improvements of established infrastructure.

Finding 10: Business leaders are supporting brownfields revitalization.

Finding 11: Business leaders are involved in the development of mixed-use and infill projects.

BARRIERS TO BUSINESS LEADERSHIP ON SMART GROWTH

Despite increasingly proactive smart growth leadership by businesses across the nation, formidable barriers remain in the path of greater business involvement in efforts to combat sprawl.

Finding 12: Most businesses are not aware of the negative impacts of sprawl on business competitiveness and profitability.

Finding 13: Local barriers to smart growth business decisions include:

·     Lack of timeliness and predictability of development approvals in already developed areas;

·     Perception that obtaining incentives and approvals is easier in exurban areas;

·     Inadequate local and regional land use planning;

·     Difficulty of acquiring and assembling suitable land parcels and buildings in established communities

·     Failure to maintain existing infrastructure; and

·     Social issues such as crime and school quality

Finding 14: Federal and state government barriers to smart growth business decisions include:

·     The need for increased state leadership;

·     Underinvestment in existing infrastructure;

·     Transportation funding and policies that may foster exurban growth;

·     Environmental regulations which create perceived and actual barriers to doing business in established communities; and

·     Federal facility locational decisions abandoning established communities

STRATEGIES TO OVERCOME THE BARRIERS TO SMART GROWTH LEADERSHIP BY AMERICAN BUSINESS

Just as the problem of sprawl is caused by myriad factors, strategies for smarter growth must be based on cooperative action by a broad range of business, community, and government parties.  In this section, NALGEP identifies strategies that can be taken to overcome the barriers to business leadership and action on these issues.

Finding 15: Businesses need better education and information about the economic impacts of sprawl and the economic benefits of smart growth strategies.

Finding 16: Local governments can promote business involvement in smart growth activities by engaging business leaders in land use planning, investing in existing assets, and creating predictability in the approval process for development.

Finding 17: Business leaders support strong state leadership to promote smart growth.

Finding 18: The federal government’s role in addressing sprawl should focus on education, funding, and other assistance that support state and local efforts, but should not dictate or interfere with local land use decisions.

Recommended Business Actions to
Promote Smart Growth

Business leadership is an essential component in addressing the challenges of sprawl and smart growth.  Based on examples and on the guidance of the NALGEP Smart Growth Advisory Council, we recommend that business leaders from all sectors consider taking the following actions in their companies and local communities:

1.  Increase awareness within your business of the economic impacts of sprawl and consider policies that facilitate analysis and mitigation of these impacts.

2.  Participate in studies and analysis of sprawl and smart growth.

3.  Foster business-to-business education on the issues of sprawl, smart growth, and better development practices.

4.  Get involved in land use and transportation planning activities at the local and metropolitan level.

5.  Support downtown revitalization initiatives, including upgrades to existing infrastructure.

6.  Support the redevelopment of brownfields and other smart growth development practices, such as infill and mixed-use developments, as alternatives to single-use development of Greenfield areas.

7.  Promote alternatives to automobile-dependent commuting for employees, such as transit benefits and subsidies, cash-out of employer-paid parking, and ride-sharing programs.

8.  Publicize smart growth practices and success stories involving your business.

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This page was last updated on January 18, 2005