In short, smart growth means building neighborhoods like we used to. Not out in a corn field. Not surrounded by gates. And people-oriented, not car-oriented. Just like the historic fabric of the Martindale-Brightwood and King Park neighborhoods.

 

Smart Growth is a concept of urban growth that seeks to reduce sprawling, low-density development on the fringes of cities by concentrating development in compact, walkable, bicycle-friendly neighborhoods.

• It preserves and strengthens existing neighborhoods, promoting an increased tax base for local schools and government services and encouraging more equitable, socially diverse neighborhoods.
• It promotes economic opportunity by integrating jobs into neighborhoods and by offering mobility options to residents to access job opportunities elsewhere in the region.
• It promotes mixed land uses, where schools, churches, and retail opportunities anchor neighborhoods that offer a range of housing choices.
• It seeks fiscal cost savings by developing vacant and underused land where there are already existing streets, sewers, gas mains, and other necessary infrastructure.
• It seeks to reduce traffic congestion through these mixed land uses by promoting strong urban neighborhoods close to existing employment centers and by offering transit, greenway, and sidewalk connections.
• It also seeks to improve the health of people and the environment by reducing fossil fuel use, encouraging a walkable lifestyle, and providing ample public open space for recreation as well as ecological protection.

 

What Will This All Look Like?

To be honest, nobody knows. There are no preconceived notions about what everything may end up looking like.

 

Here are a few good collections of real-world images that describe the type of development smart growth often ends up being.

• Environmental Protection Agency Images
• NRDC: Before and After Image Animations
• Reconnecting America Image Bank