Updated 03/2011
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 and Sustainable Development
- Washington Local Government Smart Growth and Sustainability Programs and Codes
- Smart Growth and Sustainability in Other States
- Smart Growth and Sustainability Information by Topic
- Other MRSC Pages Related to Smart Growth and Sustainable Development
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, predictable, 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 - Website of Smart Growth Network with extensive information including news and useful resources. A network to encourage metropolitan development that is environmentally, fiscally, economically, and socially smart. Includes Smart Growth Resources and Smart Growth Events.
- 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 America Blog
- Smart Growth, U.S. EPA - EPA's portal to extensive resources on smart growth and related issues
- About Smart Growth
- Smart Growth (
) Draft, Local Government Climate and Energy Strategy Guide, 03/2010 - A guide to developing and implementing greenhouse gas reduction programs
- Smart Growth Implementation Assistance (EPA)
- 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 (now Department of Commerce) - Brochure, discussion papers, and links
- Smart Communities Network, Creating Energy Smart Communities, provided by National Center for Appropriate Technology
- Bibliography: Livability, Sustainable Development and Smart Growth, 2004-2009, compiled by Rosalyn Alleman and Roger Garren, National Transportation Library (NTL)
- Center for Livable Communities, Local Government Commission (CA) - National initiative of Local Government Commission in California. Developed the Ahwahnee Principles for Resource-Efficient Communities in 1991 and the Ahwahnee Water Principles for Resource-Efficient Land Use in 2005. See also Ahwanee Climate Change Principles and Ahwanee Economic Development Principles
- Natural Resources Defense Council, Smart Growth
- Funders' Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities - Resource to assist funders and organizations interested in advancing more livable communities through smart growth policies
- Futurewise (Formerly 1000 Friends of Washington) - Statewide public interest group working to promote healthy communities and cities while protecting farmland, forests and shorelines
- Local Government Environmental Assistance Network Smart Growth
- ULI and Smart Growth, Urban Land Institute
- Smart Growth Leadership Institute - Dedicated to helping state and local elected, civic and business leaders design and implement effective smart growth strategies
- 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 - Includes Smart Growth Toolkit
- Smart Growth, New Urbanism
- Smart Growth Codes, American Planning Association
- 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, University of Maryland
- Smart City Radio - Weekly public radio talk show on cities.
General Resources on Sustainability
- Sustainable Communities Online - Comprehensive site for information exchange about sustainability; includes case studies from Washington State. See also Inventories and Indicators, Sustainable Communities Network
- Sustainable Washington 2009: Planning for Climate Change, Washington Chapter, American Planning Association - Award-winning resource document for planners involved in sustainability and climate change issues; emphasizes actions that planners can take to mitigate the effects of climate change and to adapt to unavoidable impacts associated with global warming
- U.S. Department of Agriculture - Sustainable Development
- Center for Sustainable Communities and Sustainability topic page, ICMA
- 2010 County Sustainability Strategies (
), National Association of Counties
- 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
- Selected MRSC Library Holdings on Sustainable Development
- "Sustainability: The Issue of Our Age and a Concern for Local Government," by Michael Willis, Public Management, 08/2006
- Sustainable Cities International - Mission to catalyze action on urban sustainability in cities around the world; based in Vancouver, B.C.
- Sustainable Development Primer, Moving Sustainable Development from Theory to Practice, By Beryl Magilavy
- A Review of Municipal Ordinances for Sustainable Development, Florida State University, 2006
- Citizens Network for Sustainable Development
- Communities Working on Sustainability Indicators, International Sustainability Indicators Network
- Sustainable Cities Institute - Project of The Home Depot Foundation to support efforts in environmental stewardship initiatives and provide proactive solutions to helping create healthy “green” communities
- SustainLane Government - Online sustainability best practices knowledge base for state and local government; evolved from the SustainLane US City Rankings, a benchmark study on urban sustainability originally published in 2005
- “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, 04/2005.
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 creating livable sustainable communities
- Traditional Neighborhood Development, MRSC Web page
General Articles and Publications on Smart Growth and Sustainable Development
- Smart Growth," by C. Gregory Dale, Planners Web, Planning Commissioners Journal, Spring 2003
- Smart Growth and the Greening of Comprehensive Plans and Land Use Regulations, by Patricia Salkin, Albany Law School, July 2008 (paper available for download)
- Smart Growth, TDM Encyclopedia, Victoria Transport Policy Institute, 2005
- "Evaluating Criticism of Smart Growth," by Todd Litman, Victoria Transport Policy Institute, 06/06/2011
- "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
- "Smart Growth Reforms: Changing Planning Regulatory and Fiscal Practices to Support More Efficient Land Use," by Todd Littman, Victoria Transport Policy Institute, 06/17/2011
- “Understanding Smart Growth Savings: What We Know About Public Infrastructure and Service Cost Savings, And How They are Misrepresented By Critics,” 06/17/2011, by Todd Litman, Victoria Transport Policy Institute
- Overcoming Obstacles to Smart Growth Through Code Reform, An Executive Summary of Smart Growth Zoning Codes: A Resource Guide, Local Government Commission (CA)
- Sprawl and Growth - Articles from the Planners Web for planners and other local officials concerned about the impacts of sprawl.
- Creating Great Neighborhoods: Density in Your Community, U.S. EPA, 2003
- Smart Growth Checklist (), A Checklist for Municipal Land Use Planning and Management, NY State Department of Transportation.
Washington Local Government Smart Growth and Sustainability Programs and Codes
Cities
- Bainbridge Island, Memorandum on City Sustainability Initiative (), 04/2009
- Bellevue Comprehensive Plan Selected Excerpts Related to Sustainability (), Bel-Red Corridor Project
- Bellingham Green Resolutions and Actions
- Bothell Sustainability, Bothell Cool
- Edmonds
- Edmonds Community Sustainability Element, Comprehensive Plan
- Edmonds Resolution No. 1193 ()
- Issaquah Sustainable City Indicators - Includes Issaquah Sustainable City Report, 2010
- Kirkland Sustainable Development
- Lynnwood Energy and Sustainability Element, () Comprehensive Plan Amendments, 2010
- Mercer Island's Commitment to Sustainable Practices - Includes What the City is Doing in terms of sustainable actions and policies
- Mountlake Terrace Sustainability
- Olympia
- Sustainability
- Olympia Comprehensive Plan, Ch. 3 - Sustainable Economy ()
- Sustainable Action Map - SAM
- Sustainable Puyallup
- Sammamish Sustainability Strategy
- Seattle Sustainable Development and Smart Growth - Links to Seattle's Comprehensive Plan, Transportation Strategic Plan and related environmental programs
- Seattle Office of Sustainability and Environment
- Shoreline Forevergreen
- Environmental Sustainability Strategy document ( 79 MB), adopted 07/2008 (very large document)
- Environmental Sustainability Strategy document (
- Sustainable Snoqualmie - Includes Snoqualmie Sustainability Survey Results (), University of Washington Snoqualmie Sustainability Team, April 2009
- Spokane Sustainability
- Tacoma Sustainability
- University Place, Main Street and Smart Growth Primer (), Economic Development Task Force
- Sustainable Vancouver - Includes Sustainability Plan
- Walla Walla Sustainability Committee
- Woodinville Sustainable Development Project.
Counties
- Benton County Office of Sustainable Development
- Clark County Sustainability Policy ()
- Island County Council of Governments Sustainability Resolution (), 08/2008
- Pierce County Office of Sustainability
- Skagit County Climate Change and Sustainability Initiative
- Snohomish County Office of Energy and Sustainability
- Thurston County
Smart Growth and Sustainability in Other States and Provinces
- Smart Growth Planning Topics, Maryland - Leader in developing statewide Smart Growth program; Sustainable Communities legislation.
- 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. Also see Smart Growth Case Studies and Ordinances
- California Land Use Planning Information Network, Smart Growth
- Coalition for Smarter Growth - Focuses on the Washington, D.C. area
- Colorado Office of Smart Growth
- Colorado Sprawl Action Center - Includes photo gallery
- Sustainable City, San Francisco - Sustainability plan for the city of San Francisco
- Idaho Smart Growth
- New York State Smart Growth
- Portland, OR Bureau of Planning and Sustainability and PBS Sustainability Programs
- Wisconsin Smart Forestry for Smart Growth
- Massachusetts Smart Growth/Smart Energy Toolkit
- Smart Growth Vermont
- Smart Growth BC - Provincial non-governmental organization devoted to fiscally, socially, and environmentally responsible land use and development.
Smart Growth and Sustainability 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
- Smart Growth, National Trust for Historic Preservation
- Communities by Design, American Institute of Architects
- 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 Communities and Building Design, MRSC Web page
- Green Development, Smart Communities Network
- Community Design and Public Spaces, Smart Growth Solutions, N.J. Smart Growth Gateway
- Place Matters - Database for communities to improve community design and decisionmaking.
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,07/2005
- Energy and Smart Growth, 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
- Massachusetts Smart Growth/Smart Energy Toolkit.
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, 2000 and 2003
- Coastal and Waterfront Smart Growth, NOAA
- EcoEarth Info - Environmental Sustainability Portal
- Smart Growth for Clean Water (), National Association of Local Government Environmental Professionals,
Trust for Public Land, and ERG, 2003 - Using Smart Growth Techniques as Stormwater Best Management Practices, EPA, 12/2005
- Growing Toward More Efficient Water Use: Linking Development, Infrastructure, and Drinking Water Policies, EPA, 01/2006
- Climate Change, MRSC Web page
- Environment & Natural Resources, MRSC Web page
- Water and Smart Growth, The Funders' Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities, 2004.
Housing and Smart Growth
- Smart Growth and Affordable Housing, U.S. EPA
- Best Practices in the Production of Affordable Housing, Urban Land Institute, 2005
- Environmentally Sustainable Affordable Housing, ULI Community Catalyst Report No. 7, prepared by Deborah L. Myerson, Urban Land Institute, 2008 - Based on an October 2007 Forum on Community Issues
- Housing, Smart Growth America - Addresses issues such as range of choice in housing and affordability
- Housing, Smart Growth Issue Area, Smart Growth Online - Includes list of topics, access to housing-related materials by type, and useful collection of links.
- Smarter Growth Policy, National Association of Home Builders
- Housing, MRSC Web page - includes links to Affordable Housing Ordinances.
Land Use and Smart Growth/Sustainability
- Innovative Land Use Planning Techniques: A Handbook For Sustainable Development, New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services
- Land Preservation: An Essential Ingredient in Smart Growth, by Tom Daniels and Mark Lapping, Journal of Planning Literature, Vol. 19, No. 3, pp. 316-329, 02/2005 (provided by Private Land Network)
- Smart Communities Network, Land Use Planning
- Smart Growth: Land Use, Zoning, and Growth Management, National Association of Realtors
- Smart Land Use, Victoria Transport Policy Institute.
Natural Resources and Smart Growth
- National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, National Center for Appropriate Technology
- Urban Forests and Smart Growth, The Funders' Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities, Jan. 2005.
Transportation and Smart Growth
- Smart Growth and Transportation: Issues and Lessons Learned, Report of a Conference held in 2002, Transportation Research Board, 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.
- Parking Spaces/Community Places: Finding the Balance Through Smart Growth Solutions, U.S. EPA, 01/2006
- Land Use, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Center for Environmental Excellence
- Coordinating Land Use and Transportation, Federal Highway Administration
- I-405 Corridor Program: Implementing Smart Growth, Washington State Department of Transportation
- Congestion Management, MRSC Web page
- TDM Encyclopedia, Victoria Transport Policy Institute - Transportation demand management; comprehensive source of information about innovative management solutions to transportation problems
- Transportation, Smart Growth America
- Transportation, Smart Growth Online
- Smart Growth and Transportation in Small Communities (), by Joseph Blakeman, University of Wisconsin, 2003
- Smart Transportation Guidebook: Planning and Designing Highways and Streets that Support Sustainable and Livable Communities (), Pennsylvania and New Jersey Departments of Transportation, 03/2008
- Sustainability, Center for Environmental Excellence by AASHTO - Transportation focus
- Transportation Demand Management, MRSC Web page
- Transportation Efficient Land Use, MRSC Web page.
Healthy Communities
- Healthy Communities and People, Smart Growth America
- Health and Smart Growth, The Funders' Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities, 02/2003
- Building Healthy Communities, MRSC Web page.
Schools and Smart Growth
- Smart Growth and Schools, National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities
- National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education, University of Maryland.
Other MRSC Pages Related to Smart Growth
- Flexible Regulatory and Non-Regulatory/Incentive Tools, MRSC Web page
- Green Communities and Building Design, MRSC Web page
- Infill Development: Completing the Community Fabric, MRSC Web page.