Smart Growth - Some solutions to Urban Sprawl
About
Smart Growth
July 2000
In communities across the
nation, there is a growing concern that current development patterns-- dominated
by what some call "sprawl"--are no longer in the long-term interest of
our cities, existing suburbs, small towns, rural communities, or wilderness
areas. Though supportive of growth, communities are questioning the economic
costs of abandoning infrastructure in the city, only to rebuild it further out.
They are questioning the social costs of the mismatch between new employment
locations in the suburbs and the available work-force in the city. They are
questioning the wisdom of abandoning "brownfields" in older
communities, eating up the open space and prime agricultural lands at the
suburban fringe, and polluting the air of an entire region by driving farther to
get places. Spurring the smart growth movement are demographic shifts, a strong
environmental ethic, increased fiscal concerns, and more nuanced views of
growth. The result is both a new demand and a new opportunity for smart growth.
Smart growth recognizes
connections between development and quality of life. It leverages new growth to
improve the community. The features that distinguish smart growth in a community
vary from place to place. In general, smart growth invests time, attention, and
resources in restoring community and vitality to center cities and older
suburbs. New smart growth is more town-centered, is transit and pedestrian
oriented, and has a greater mix of housing, commercial and retail uses. It also
preserves open space and many other environmental amenities. But there is no
"one-size-fits-all" solution. Successful communities do tend to have
one thing in common--a vision of where they want to go and of what things they
value in their community--and their plans for development reflect these values.
Text from executive summary of Why
Smart Growth: A Primer by International City/County Management Association
with Geoff Anderson, 7/98.
RESOURCES
Beyond
Sprawl: New Patterns of Growth to Fit the New
California (solutions) - Bank of America, Greenbelt
Alliance, California Resources Agency, and Low Income Housing Fund. Beyond
Sprawl: New Patterns of Growth to Fit the New California. San
Francisco: Greenbelt Alliance On-line 1995 The report describes how uncontrolled
urban sprawl affects California's economy and quality of life. It calls for
collaborative efforts by all sectors of society to work on ways of lowering
sprawl's adverse social, economic and environmental impacts while encouraging
strong economic growth. http://www.greenbelt.org/beyondsp.html
Smart
Growth - Urban sprawl was a pivotal
issue during mid-term elections in 200 cities
and states. Focus groups on growth management
proliferate in communities across the country.
Vice President Al Gore recently announced
three new federal initiatives that could help
Americans build more livable communities.
What's going on? These and other initiatives
add up to a national upsurge of interest in
"smart growth" -- a view that
metropolitan growth patterns can and should
serve the environment, the economy, and the
community equally...
Bartsch Charles, Collaton
Elizabeth, Goode Ann Eberhart, Smart Growth. Washington DC: Northeast-Midwest
Institute. 1999 An
introduction to the issue of smart growth: why has it become so politically
salient and what is it all about. This piece includes a discussion
of federal impediments to smart growth, the role of local leadership and
community involvement as well as how to tackle the tough issue of financing
smart growth. http://www.nemw.org/ERsmartgrowth.htm
FROM
PBS: A GROWING PROBLEM - [TRANSCRIPT]
The suburbs
around San Francisco and San Jose are
the latest battlegrounds for the
ongoing conflict between developers
and those who seek to limit growth.
Spencer Michels reports... 
FROM PBS:
Drawing
the lines on urban sprawl - [TRANSCRIPT] Lee Hochberg of Oregon Public Broadcasting has
the story on drawing the lines on urban sprawl...
"Urbanism,
Suburbanism and the Good Life" - Today, in
cities across the nation, as populations shift and inner
cities search for new identities and purpose, the advent of
telecommuting offers many people greater choice and
flexibility in workplace routine. Cities and local
governments are struggling to cope with the increasing
sprawl fueled by a prosperous economy and a mobile society...
"Growing Greener" Jeopardizes
First Principles - The hype and hoopla surrounding Governor Ridge's "Growing Greener"
initiative, ignore America's founding principles and denounces dissent as demagoguery.
Government, at every level, exists first to protect the principles of self-governance on
which America was founded, one of which is free speech and honest debate. Ridge's 21st
Century Commission concluded that "Urban Sprawl" is the state's number one
environmental problem. Nowhere in the "Urban Sprawl" discussion, is there
concern about protecting the fundamental principle of individual freedom, the principle
that respects an individual's freedom to choose where he wants to live...
Chesapeake Bay Foundation and
1000 Friends of Maryland. Making
Smart Growth Smarter: Maryland's Next Steps. Annapolis, MD: CBF
On-line 1999. Recommendations made by the authors to enhance the effectiveness
of Maryland's Smart Growth program and for expanding its application through new
initiatives. http://www.cbf.org/gmla_report/gmla_frames.htm
Corbett Judith, and Joe
Velasquez, "The
Ahwahnee Principles: Toward more livable communities." Western
City Magazine; September, 1994. The Ahawnee Principles are an articulation
of the changes and principles for more livable communities. Based upon the
lessons of community building of the past they present a framework through which
the built environment can contribute to communities that more successfully serve
the needs of those who live and work within them. http://www.lgc.org/clc/library/articles/archives/ahwahnee_article.html
English, Mary P, Jean H.
Peretz,
and Melissa Mandershield. Smart
Growth for Tennessee Towns & Cities: A Process Guide. Knoxville
TN:Waste Management Research and Education Institute, 1999. The first two
chapters provide a broad introduction to the issue of smart growth and offers
six models of smart growth that communities can adopt http://eerc.ra.utk.edu/smart/title.htm
Glendening, Parris. "Conference
Remarks." ECOS/AASHTO Conference on Smart Growth December 1,
1998. Lessons from and discussion of Maryland's smart growth program. http://www.smartgrowth.org/library/Glendening.html
Lacayo, Richard. "The
Brawl over Sprawl." Time v153 n11 March 22,1999. Before America
turns into one giant paved-over subdivision, people are fighting back. Is there
hope? This article explores the viability of smart growth and livability
efforts, can they work and what does the public think about them. http://www.pathfinder.com/time/magazine/articles/0,3266,21490,00.html
McMahon Edward. "Stopping
Sprawl by Growing Smart" Planning Commissioners Journal Spring
1997. Sprawl is causing some of the costliest problems America faces, yet, as Ed
McMahon argues, several "myths" have made it more difficult for us to
come to grips with sprawl. http://www.plannersweb.com/articles/look26.html
Moe, Richard. "Growing
Smarter Fighting Sprawl and Restoring Community in America." San
Joaquin Valley Town Hall. Fresno, California November 20, 1996.Address given by
the National Trust for Historic Preservation President responding to the
question of "How did we get to this state of affairs? How did we get from
an age that sang about America's "alabaster cities" to an age that
seems determined to destroy the American landscape and throw those cities away
like so much garbage? http://www.smartgrowth.org/library/Richard_Moe.html
Ruma,
Charles. NAHB's
Smart Growth Report. Washington DC: National Association of Home
Builders, 1999. National Association of Home Builders' Statement of Policy on
Smart Growth, which defines Smart Growth as meeting the underlying demand for
housing created by an ever-increasing population by building a political
consensus and employing market-sensitive and innovative land-use planning
techniques. http://www.smartgrowth.org/pdf/smart.pdf
State of Maryland. Smart
Growth and Neighborhood Conservation Initiatives. Baltimore MD: Maryland
Office of State Planning, 1999 The who, what and why of Maryland's landmark
Smart Growth program. http://www.op.state.md/INFO/download/smartgro.pdf)
Urban Land Institute. Smart Growth: Myth and Fact. Washington DC: ULI 1999. Dealing
with misconceptions about smart growth? This booklet investigates
eight common myths and counters them with data and examples of development and
public policies that work. Myth and Fact doesn't offer solutions, but provides
information to elevate the level of the smart growth discussion. http://www.uli.org/PubMedia/A_issues/A_SmL4_Myth.pdf
Click
here for Smart Growth Counterpoint
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