Updated 12/07
Smart Growth and Sustainable Development
Contents
- Introduction
- General Resources on Smart Growth
- General Resources on Sustainability
- General Resources on New Urbanism
- General Articles and Publications on Smart Growth
- Washington Local Government Smart Growth Programs and Codes
- Smart Growth in Other States
- Smart Growth Information by Topic
- Other Existing MRSC Pages related to Smart Growth
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.
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
- Smart Growth Online - Web site of Smart Growth Network with extensive information including news and useful resources. A network to encourage metropolitan development that is environmentally, fiscally, and economically and socially smart. Includes Smart Growth Resource Library and Smart Growth Speaker Series.
- Smart Growth America - Nationwide coalition promoting a better way to grow; one that protects farmland and open space, revitalizes neighborhoods, keeps housing affordable, preserves scenic and historic resources, and makes communities more livable.
- Smart Growth, U.S. EPA - EPA's portal to extensive resources on smart growth and related issues
- About Smart Growth
- Smart Growth Implementation Assistance (EPA)
- Smart Growth Policy Database - Policies by smart growth principle, by state, and keyword search.
- Smart Growth Illustrated - Examples of various smart growth principles
- Publications - Smart growth essentials and other topics
- Smart Growth Awards
- Smart Growth, Washington State Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development - Brochure, discussion papers, and links
- Smart Communities Network Creating Energy Smart Communities, provided by National Center for Appropriate Technology
- Center for Livable Communities, Local Government Commission (CA) - National initiative of Local Government Commission in California. Developed the Ahwahnee Principles in 1991 and the Ahwahnee Water Principles for Resource Efficient Land Use in 2005
- Natural Resources Defense Council, Smart Growth/Sprawl
- Funders' Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities - Resource to assist funders and organizations interested in advancing more livable communities through smart growth policies
- What is Smart Growth? Urban Land Institute
- Smart Growth, Puget Sound Online, Puget Sound Action Team - Useful set of local and national links
- Smart Growth Leadership Institute
- Ahwahnee Principles for Resource-Efficient Communities, Local Government Commission (CA)
- Smart Growth Resources, Transportation Research Board - Useful collection of smart growth links
- ICMA Smart Growth - Links to documents and publications about Smart Growth
- Smart Growth, National Trust for Historic Preservation
- Smart Growth, New Urbanism
- SprawlWatch Clearinghouse - Makes the tools, techniques, and strategies developed to manage growth accessible to citizens, public officials, planners, and others.
- Low Impact Development Center, Conservation Design, Sustainable Development and Smart Growth - List of links
- National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education
- Smart Growth Information Center, National Center for Public Policy Research
- Placemakers - Guide to comprehensive place making, including links to annotated model codes to meet smart growth objectives
- Smart City Radio Weekly public radio talk show on cities
- Smart Growth, Wikipedia
General Resources on Sustainability
- Sustainable Communities Network - Comprehensive site for information exchange about sustainability; includes case studies from Washington State.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture - Sustainable Development
- British Columbia Coast Sustainability Strategy
- Center for Sustainable Communities, National Association of Counties - Forum for county officials to work collaboratively to develop policies and programs aimed at economic enhancement, environmental stewardship and social well being
- New Urbanism - Organization aimed at creating livable sustainable communities.
- Sustainability, U.S. EPA
- Sightline Institute - An independent, not-for-profit sustainability research center based in Seattle. Sightline's mission is to promote an environmentally sound economy and way of life in the Pacific Northwest. Sightline Institute's Sustainability Toolkit
- Selected MRSC Library Holdings on Sustainable Development
- "Sustainability: The Issue of Our Age and a Concern for Local Government," by Michael Willis, Public Management, August 2006
- Sustainable Development Primer, Moving Sustainable Development from Theory to Practice, By Beryl Magilavy
- Sustainability, Wikipedia
- Overview of Municipal Ordinances for Sustainable Development, Florida State University, 2006
- Citizens Network for Sustainable Development
- Communities Working on Sustainability Indicators
- Compact for a Sustainable Bay Area – Bay Area Alliance for Sustainable Communities
- “What is Sustainable Development?” Robert W. Kates, Thomas M. Parris, and Anthony A. Leiserowitz, Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development, Volume 47, Number 3, April 2005.
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
- This is Smart Growth, Smart Growth Network and International City/County Management Association (ICMA), September 2006 - Shows and explains smart growth concepts and outcomes and features good development examples from 40 places around the U.S.
- Smart Growth," by C. Gregory Dale, Planners Web, Planning Commissioners Journal, Spring 2003
- Smart Growth, More Efficient Land Use Management, TDM Encyclopedia, Victoria Transport Policy Institute, 2005
- "Evaluating Criticism of Smart Growth," by Todd Litman, Victoria Transport Policy Institute, December 2005
- "Public Sector Leadership: The Role of Local Government in Smart Growth," Livable Communities @ Work, The Funders' Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities and International City/County Management Association (ICMA), 2005
- Local Tools for Smart Growth: Practical Strategies and Techniques to Improve Our Communities, National Association of Counties, Joint Center for Sustainable Communities, Smart Growth Network - Guidebook on how to employ planning and development policy to improve quality of life and achieve smart growth goals.
- "Smart Growth Reforms: Changing Planning Regulatory and Fiscal Practices to Support More Efficient Land Use," by Todd Littman, Victoria Transport Policy Institute, Nov. 2005
- Overcoming Obstacles to Smart Growth Through Code Reform, An Executive Summary of Smart Growth Zoning Codes: A Resource Guide, Local Government Commission (CA)
- "Smart Growth: The Future of the American Metropolis?" by Bruce Katz, The Brookings Institution, November 2002. Reviews the current state of smart-growth and metropolitan thinking in the United States and identifies the key challenges involved in shaping sustainable metropolitan communities.
- The Sprawl Guide - A comprehensive annotated guide to Web resources compiled by the Planners Web for planners and other local officials concerned about the impacts of sprawl.
- "Planning for Smart Growth: 2002 State of the States," American Planning Association (APA). Smart growth measures are most successful in states where planning statutes have been modernized, including Washington.
- Creating Great Neighborhoods: Density in Your Community, U.S. EPA
- "Is 'Smart Growth' the ultimate oxymoron?" Carrying Capacity Network
- "Aging and Smart Growth: Building Aging-Sensitive Communities," ( 409KB), Funders Network for Smart Growth, 2001. Highlights the importance of transforming communities to be "aging-sensitive," making it possible for people to maintain their health and independence even as needs change.
- The Barriers to Using Urban Infill Development to Achieve Smart Growth, J. Terrence Farris, Housing Policy Debate, Vol. 12, Issue 1, Fannie Mae Foundation, 2001 - Summary
- Comment on J. Terrence Farris's The Barriers to Using Urban Infill Development to Achieve Smart Growth, William H. Hudnut, III, Housing Policy Debate, Vol. 12, Issue 1, Fannie Mae Foundation, 2001
- Getting to Smart Growth: 100 Policies for Implementation, International City/County Management Association and Smart Growth Network, 2002 - Describes techniques for putting 10 smart growth principles into practice.
- Getting to Smart Growth II: 100 More Policies for Implementation, International City/County Management Association and Smart Growth Network, 2003. This publication serves as a road map for states and communities that have recognized the need for smart growth but are unclear on how to achieve it.
- Smart Growth Development Checklist, City of New Westminster (BC)
- Historic Preservation and Smart Growth - Wisconsin Historical Society resource with links to national historical preservation groups and Smart Growth resource planning guide
Washington Local Government Smart Growth Programs and Codes
- King County Smart Growth Initiative and King County Smart Growth Rural Legacy
- Kirkland Sustainable Development
- Seattle Environment, Smart Growth - Links to Seattle's Comprehensive Plan, Transportation Strategic Plan and related environmental programs
- Seattle Office of Sustainability and Environment
- Benton County Office of Sustainable Development
- Poulsbo Resolution No. 2002-03 adopting smart growth goals
- Woodinville Sustainable Development Project
Smart Growth and Sustainability in Other States and Provinces
- Smart Growth in Maryland - Leader in developing statewide Smart Growth program, includes information on smart codes.
- New Jersey Smart Growth Gateway - An online resource for local government officials and citizens with information necessary to implement smart growth strategies in their communities
- California Land Use Planning Information Network, Smart Growth
- Smart Growth Strategy, Regional Livability Footprint Project, Final Report, Association of Bay Area Governments (CA), 2002
- Colorado Sprawl Action Center - Includes photo gallery
- Sustainable City, San Francisco - Sustainability plan for the city of San Francisco
- Montana Smart Growth Coalition
- Portland, OR Office of Sustainable Development
- Wisconsin Smart Forestry for Smart Growth
- Austin, TX Smart Growth Initiative and Model Codes for Sustainable Development
- Massachusetts Smart Growth Toolkit
- Smart Growth Vermont
- Smart Growth BC - Provincial non-governmental organization devoted to fiscally, socially and environmentally responsible land use and development.
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
- A Citizen's Guide to Protecting Historic Places: Local Preservation Ordinances Smart Growth Tools for Main Street, National Trust for Historic Preservation, 2002
- Communities by Design: Influencing Your Community's Quality of Life, American Institute of Architects, 2001
- Design Review, MRSC Web page
- Design, Smart Growth Issue Area, Smart Growth Online - Includes list of topics and access to design-related materials by type
- Governors' Institute on Community Design - An initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts and the Environmental Protection Agency to support governors' leadership in good community design and innovative planning.
- Green Building Design, MRSC Web page
- Green Development and Community Design, Smart Communities Network
- Community Design and Public Spaces, Smart Growth Solutions, N.J. Smart Growth Gateway
Economics and Smart Growth
- Economic Development, MRSC Web page
- Economics, Smart Growth Issue Area, Smart Growth Online Includes list of topics and access to economics-related materials by type
- Workforce Development and Smart Growth, The Funders' Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities, 2005
Energy and Smart Growth
- Building the Case for Energy Smart Growth, by Carol Werner, Environmental and Energy Study Institute, July 2005
- Energy and Smart Growth: It's About How and Where We Build, Funders' Network for Smart Growth, 2004. Provides a brief background on current energy trends and programs, and concludes that design and location are key factors determining energy consumption in urban development.
Environment and Smart Growth
- Environment, Smart Growth Issue Area, Smart Growth Online - Includes list of topics and access to environment-related materials by type
- Environmental Characteristics of Smart Growth Neighborhoods, Natural Resources Defense Council, Case Studies in Sacramento and Nashville
- EcoEarth Info Environmental Sustainability Portal
- Protecting Water Resources, Smart Growth Strategies, NACO City/County Smart Growth Profiles, 2001
- Protecting Water Resources with Smart Growth, U.S. EPA, 2001
- Using Smart Growth Techniques as Stormwater Best Management Practices, EPA, December 2005
- Growing Toward More Efficient Water Use: Linking Development, Infrastructure, and Drinking Water Policies, EPA, Jan. 2006
- Climate Change, MRSC Web page
- Environment, MRSC Web page
- Water and Smart Growth: The Impacts of Sprawl on Aquatic Ecosystems, The Funders' Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities, 2004
Housing and Smart Growth
- "Affordable Housing and Smart Growth: Making the Connection," Smart Growth Network and the National Neighborhood Coalition, (2002) identifies a range of policies and approaches that help achieve both smart growth and affordable housing objectives. It includes case studies of towns, cities, and states that have benefited from linking these two interrelated goals.
- Affordable Housing and Smart Growth, U.S. EPA
- Best Practices in the Production of Affordable Housing, Urban Land Institute, 2005
- Housing, Smart Growth Issue Area, Smart Growth Online - Includes list of topics, access to housing-related materials by type, and useful collection of links.
- What Does Smart Growth Mean for Housing?, By Karen A. Danielsen, Robert E. Lang, and William Fulton, Housing Facts and Findings, Fall 1999 Volume 1 Issue 3 - Emphasis on higher density housing as smart growth
- "Smart Growth and Housing Affordability: Evidence from Statewide Planning Laws," by Sam Staley and Leonard C. Gilroy, Policy Study No. 287, Reason Public Policy Institute, December 2001 - Critique of smart growth and growth management practices.
- Smart Growth Policy Statement, National Association of Home Builders
- Housing, MRSC Web page - includes links to Affordable Housing Ordinances
Natural Resources and Smart Growth
- Agricultural Resources and Smart Growth: Saving Urban Influenced Farmland, The Funders' Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities, April 2001
Transportation and Smart Growth
- Smart Growth and Transportation: Issues and Lessons Learned, Report of a Conference held in 2002, Transportation Research Board, 2005
- "Smart Growth and the Transportation-Land Use Connection: What Does the Research Tell Us?" Susan Handy, International Regional Science Review, Vol. 28, No. 2, 146-167 (2005)
- Driving Urban Environments: Smart Growth Parking Best Practices, Maryland Governor's Office of Smart Growth. Overview of parking strategies that meet the challenges faced by projects in the context of smart growth.
- "Why 2006 Matters for Smart Growth, Transit, and Transit-Oriented Development," by Lisa Nisenson, Smart Growth Online
- Parking Spaces/Community Places: Finding the Balance Through Smart Growth Solutions, U.S. EPA, Jan. 2006
- Land Use/Smart Growth, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Center for Environmental Excellence
- Linking Land Use and Transportation, Federal Highway Administration
- I-405 Corridor Program: Implementing Smart Growth, Washington State Department of Transportation
- Congestion Management, MRSC Web page
- Transportation, Smart Growth Issue Area, Smart Growth Online - Includes list of topics and access to health-related materials by type
- Transportation Demand Management, MRSC Web page
- Transportation Efficient Land Use, MRSC Web page
Healthy Communities
- Health, Smart Growth Issue Area, Smart Growth Online - Includes list of topics and access to health-related materials by type
- Linking Smart Growth and Active Living and Health, Smart Growth Resource Library, Smart Growth Resource Network
- Tipping the Scales for Smart Growth: SMARTRAQ Demonstrates How Community Design Affects Travel Behavior, Air Quality and Health
- Building Healthy Communities, MRSC Web page
Schools and Smart Growth
- "Schools and Smart Growth," Public Schools, A Toolkit for Realtors, Realtor.org
Other Existing MRSC Pages related to Smart Growth
- Flexible Regulatory and Non-Regulatory/Incentive Tools, MRSC Web page
- Infill Development: Completing the Community Fabric, MRSC Web page