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SUBJECTS › PLANNING › Smart Growth
Updated 09/09

Smart Growth and Sustainable Development

Contents

Introduction

Smart growth is development that is environmentally sensitive, economically viable, community-oriented, and sustainable. It is an approach to land use planning that promotes compact, transit-oriented urban communities that are attractive and livable. Smart growth focuses on the planning and layout of communities and the efficient use of land to maximize community goals and avoid wasteful sprawl. It involves policies that integrate transportation and land use decisions by encouraging more compact, mixed-use development within existing urban areas and discouraging dispersed, automobile-dependent development at the urban fringe. Smart growth and sustainable development are often used interchangeably. Sustainable development is a strategy by which communities seek to balance environmental protection, economic development, and social objectives and to meet the needs of today without compromising the quality of life for future generations.

Smart growth principles include the following:

  • Mixing land uses
  • Employing compact building design
  • Creating a range of housing opportunities and choices
  • Creating walkable neighborhoods
  • Designing distinctive, attractive communities with a strong sense of place
  • Preserving open space, farmland, and critical environmental areas
  • Directing development towards existing communities
  • Providing a variety of transportation choices
  • Making development decisions fair, predicable, and cost-effective
  • Encouraging community and stakeholder collaboration.
(Adapted from "About Smart Growth," Smart Growth Online)

The Washington Growth Management Act (GMA) encourages smart growth in that state law mandates that growth be directed into urban growth areas where urban services already exist. The GMA also promotes many other smart growth principles, such as affordable housing, preservation of critical areas and farmland, providing transportation choices, and predictable permit decisions; see GMA planning goals (RCW 36.70A.020).

Because smart growth is a broad subject that cuts across many different areas, this page offers links both to MRSC pages that address related topics and to resources on other sites.

General Resources on Smart Growth

General Resources on Sustainability

General Resources on New Urbanism

New urbanism (also known as traditional neighborhood development) is an approach to developing community based on traditional town patterns. New urbanism also reflects many principles of sustainable development.

  • CNU - Congress for the New Urbanism - Non-profit organization that works with architects, planners and developers to teach them how to implement the principles of new urbanism
  • New Urbanism - Organization aimed at developing livable sustainable communities
  • Traditional Neighborhood Development, MRSC Web page

General Articles and Publications on Smart Growth

Washington Local Government Smart Growth and Sustainability Programs and Codes

Cities

Counties

Smart Growth and Sustainability in Other States and Provinces

Smart Growth Information by Topic

The following information is organized by specific subject areas that relate to smart growth issues.

Community Quality of Life and Smart Growth

  • Community Quality of Life, Smart Growth Issue Area, Smart Growth Online - Includes list of topics and access to community quality-related materials by type.

Design and Smart Growth

Economics and Smart Growth

Energy and Smart Growth

Environment and Smart Growth

Housing and Smart Growth

Natural Resources and Smart Growth

Transportation and Smart Growth

Healthy Communities

Schools and Smart Growth

Other Existing MRSC Pages related to Smart Growth

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