Smart Growth seeks to promote development patterns that are economically sound, environmentally responsible and socially just. This new approach emphasizes partnerships among local governments, developers, businesses, farmers, social justice advocates and environmentalists.
Poll Shows Strong Public Support for Smart Growth
A recent national survey conducted by Smart Growth America indicates that Americans support Smart Growth planning as an alternative to Sprawl. 78% of respondents agreed with the statement that it is better to have land use planning to guide the place and size of development in an area; while only 17% said that people and industry should be able to build wherever they want.
What Smart Growth America says about Smart Growth. Below we have reprinted an essay from Smart Growth America that explains the concept quite clearly.
(from Chapter 2 of
Greetings from Smart Growth America)
We define smart growth according to its outcomes--outcomes that mirror the basic values of most Americans. Smart growth is growth that helps to achieve these six goals:
1. Neighborhood Livability The central goal of any smart growth plan 
is the quality of the neighborhoods where we live. They should be safe, convenient, attractive and affordable. Sprawl development too often forces trade-offs between these goals. Some neighborhoods are safe but not convenient. Others are convenient but not affordable. Too many affordable neighborhoods are not safe. Careful planning can help bring all these elements together.
2. Better Access, Less Traffic One of the major downfalls of sprawl is traffic. By putting jobs, homes and other destinations far apart and requiring a car for every trip, sprawl makes everyday tasks a chore. Smart growth's emphasis on mixing land uses, clustering development, and providing multiple transportation choices helps us manage congestion, pollute less and save energy. Those who want to drive can, but people who would rather not drive everywhere or don't own a car have other choices.
3. Thriving Cities, Suburbs and Towns Smart growth puts the needs of existing communities first. By guiding development to already built-up areas, money for investments in transportation, schools, libraries and other public services can go to the communities where people live today. This is especially important for neighborhoods that have inadequate public services and low levels of private investment. It is also critical for preserving what makes so many places special--attractive buildings, historic districts and cultural landmarks.
4. Shared Benefits Sprawl leaves too many people behind. Divisions by income and race have allowed some areas to prosper while others languish. As basic needs such as jobs, education and health care become less plentiful in some communities, residents have diminishing opportunities to participate in their regional economy. Smart growth enables all residents to be beneficiaries of prosperity.
5. Lower Costs, Lower Taxes Sprawl costs money. Opening up green space to new development means that the cost of new schools, roads, sewer lines, and water supplies will be borne by residents throughout metro areas. Sprawl also means families have to own more cars and drive them further. This has made transportation the second highest category of household spending, just behind shelter. Smart growth helps on both fronts. Taking advantage of existing infrastructure keeps taxes down. And where convenient transportation choices enable families to rely less on driving, there's more money left over for other things, like buying a home or saving for college.
6. Keeping Open Space Open. By focusing development in already built-up areas, smart growth preserves rapidly vanishing natural treasures. From forests and farms to wetlands and wildlife, smart growth lets us pass on to our children the landscapes we love. Communities are demanding more parks that are conveniently located and bring recreation within reach of more people. People are also beginning to realize that protecting natural resources will provide healthier air and cleaner drinking water.
How is Smart Growth Achieved?
Setting goals is easy. Attaining them is always the challenge. But after years of experience with an assortment of projects, we are beginning to see what approaches work best to deliver the goods.
Though techniques will vary across regions and community types, the ten tools listed here can form the basis for a sensible and effective smart growth plan. This list has been adopted by a variety of political and business leaders, including the National Governors' Association.
To achieve smart growth, communities should:
1. Mix Land Uses. New, clustered development works best if it includes a mix of stores, jobs and homes. Single-use districts make life less convenient and require more driving.
2. Take Advantage of Existing Community Assets. From local parks to neighborhood schools to transit systems, public investments should focus on getting the most out of what we've already built.
3. Create a Range of Housing Opportunities and Choices. Not everyone wants the same thing. Communities should offer a range of options: big houses and small houses, condominiums and apartments, and "granny flats" for empty nesters.
4. Foster "Walkable," Close-Knit Neighborhoods. These places offer not just the opportunity to walk--sidewalks are a necessity--but something to walk to, whether it's the corner store, the transit stop or a school. A compact, walkable neighborhood contributes to peoples' sense of community because neighbors get to know each other, not just each other's cars.
5. Promote Distinctive, Attractive Communities with a Strong Sense of Place, Including the Rehabilitation and Use of Historic Buildings. In every community, there are things that make each place special, from train stations to local businesses. These should be protected and celebrated.
6. Preserve Open Space, Farmland, Natural Beauty, and Critical Environmental Areas. Even as we live in an increasingly crowded world, people want to stay connected to nature and are willing to take action to protect ecosystems and wildlife.
7. Strengthen and Encourage Growth in Existing Communities. Before we plow up more forests and farms, we should look for opportunities to grow in already built-up areas.
8. Provide a Variety of Transportation Choices. People can't get out of their cars unless we provide them with another way to get where they're going. More communities need safe and reliable public transportation, sidewalks to bike paths.
9. Make Development Decisions Predictable, Fair, and Cost-Effective. Builders wishing to implement smart growth should face no more obstacles than those contributing to sprawl. In fact, communities may choose to provide incentives for smarter development.
10. Encourage Citizen and Stakeholder Participation in Development Decisions. Plans developed without strong citizen involvement don't have staying power. When people feel left out of important decisions, they won't be there to help out when tough choices have to be made.
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Don Chen
Director, Smart Growth America
and
Smart Growth Program Director
Surface Transportation Policy Project
1100 17th Street, NW 10th Floor
Washington, DC 20036
Telephone: 202.974.5131
Faxphone: 202.466.2247
Email: dchen@transact.org
Web: www.transact.org and www.tea21.org
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See the 10 Principles of Smart Growth
from
Minnesota's Smart Growth Network
This
page was last updated on February 7, 2005 |
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