Professional Documents
Culture Documents
them, such as the elderly, disabled, areas has a strong, negative impact
low-income individuals, and youth. on civic participation. Oliver notes, Time has indeed
Architects of the "New Urbanism," such "By creating politically separated pock- become a critical ele-
as Andres Duany, note how sprawling ets of affluence, suburbanization
development patterns in general tend reduces the social needs faced by citi- ment. The commute
to encourage people to retreat into pri- zens with the most resources to and time individuals
vate space. According to this view, "In address them; by creating communi- spend on the road
the absence of walkable public places - ties of homogenous political interests,
- streets,squares, and parks,the public suburbanization reduces the local con- detract from time
realm -- people of diverse ages, races, flicts that engage and draw the citizen- that could be spent
and beliefs are unlikely to meet and ry into the public realm."9 for more fruitful
talk."8 (emphasis in original)
Civic participation is directly linked to endeavors, both for
To be sure, there needs to be more democratic participation. Civic institu- the family and the
statistical research in this area. tions open a window of opportunity community.
Political scientist Eric Oliver has found and participation into the political
in a new study, however, that the more world. Thus, a lack of civic participa-
homogenous a community, the lower tion caused in part by sprawl results
the expected civic engagement. He in a weakening of democracy.
also found that economic segregation
that often takes place in metropolitan But all is not lost.
The public hearings necessary for per- NIMBYism is not true civic participa-
mits or to satisfy legal requirements tion in a democratic sense. It indi-
regarding land use concerns often res- cates that the institutional mecha-
onate with local residents attacking nisms currently used in many jurisdic-
the proposed project and banding tions are broken and preclude mean-
together in opposition. Thus a great ingful citizen participation in the land
paradox. Siting for development often use decision-making process. On the
cannot occur without public participa- other hand, however, it also serves as
tion, and public participation often pre- a signal that land use is a subject
vents the siting of various projects. In that people care about and are willing
addition, too often community groups to get involved with.
Page 5
socioeconomic barriers.
Envision Utah’s purpose is to
• St. Louis, Missouri has shown a create and be an advocate for a
• The Silicon Valley Network has insti- civic commitment to regional smart publicly supported growth strat-
tuted the Joint Venture Silicon Valley growth issues on many levels. The egy that will preserve a high
project, which received financial sup- East-Way Gateway Coordinating quality of life, natural environ-
port from a host of foundations and Council, the metropolitan planning ment, and economic vitality. It
organizations, to tackle regional quali- organization for the St. Louis area, is has completed an in-depth
ty of life issues in an integrated way, spearheading the St. Louis Regional study and a baseline analysis of
future growth, held over 100
including education, crime, economic Jobs Initiative.
public workshops, commissioned
development, and transportation. a million-dollar public aware-
Each instance illustrates the positive ness campaign, and proposed
• Utah, in 1997, created a partner- results that can be achieved when citi- future quality growth strategies
ship called "Envision Utah"28 dedicat- zens and communities find common and scenarios for citizen input.
ed to regional growth issues within the ground and form supportive coalitions Based on this citizen input, the
Greater Wasatch Area -- a region in that extend beyond individual political initiative is moving forward
Northern Utah consisting of 88 cities jurisdictions and focus instead on with communities to implement
a growth strategy, which
and 10 counties. The partnership larger issues that affect everyone from includes encouraging public
includes over 100 community stake- all socioeconomic and community transportation along with the
holders from the academic, private, sectors. adoption of smart growth tools.
public, and religious sectors.
are also helpful to promote a well- lighting the need for regionalism. It
Unfortunately, many informed citizenry and accountability also can be used by organizations to
members of the media in its leaders. In order to better ana- identify both problems and answers to
tend towards coverage lyze the dominant trends that impact a land use and socioeconomic problems
region, indicators can be established within a community.34
of the negative aspects and regularly monitored to measure a
of any venture. community’s health. The process of The federal government in particular
Community leaders developing these indicators is just as holds the key to a large amount of
important as the indicators them- information, and through individual
can address this selves: the objectives should balance programs and Internet access, they
media concern by and reflect the community values, are unlocking the doors for citizens.
interests, and needs.
involving the media For example:
outlets themselves as A community should try to link an indi- • The Department of Housing and
important compo- cator to policy to ensure effective- Urban Development offers a
ness. These indicators can then be Community 2020 software package
nents of information used to assess performance relative that utilizes GIS and allows communi-
sharing in the project. to that policy; this will promote mean- ties to "visually analyze, understand,
ingful public dialogue, policy dis- and respond to community needs and
course, and allow individual members opportunities."35
of a community to analyze the deci-
sion-making process in a more • The Department of the Interior
informed manner. Indicators help to offers an Urban Dynamics land use
bring issues to the forefront and tell a program that documents the history
society if they are making progress and change of areas based on geo-
toward their stated goal.32 As more graphic and topographic information.36
regions use indicators to measure
their progress, this can encourage the • The Environmental Protection
sharing of information between com- Agency encourages community part-
munities.33 nerships and information sharing
through its Environmental Monitoring
The data sets compiled and used in a for Public Access and Community
neighborhood indicators program can Tracking (EMPACT) program.37 It also
also be used in conjunction with promotes the principles and tech-
another recent innovation that can niques of smart growth by using its
have a tremendous impact on the Smart Growth Index, designed to sim-
future of land use planning and the ulate land-use and transportation sce-
widespread availability of information -- narios.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
technology. The ability to easily sort Indeed, every day new, creative tools,
and categorize information by spatial from enhanced interactive surveying to
units is invaluable. The rapid using the Internet and scenario plan-
advances in technology have imbued ning in novel ways, are being devel-
desktop computers with the capacity oped that can assist citizens on an
to create and print maps that indicate individual or group basis.38
a host of different factors and ele-
ments. These same advances have All of the tools available cannot be
also accommodated a presentation listed here, but the point is that inter-
format that is much more user-friendly est in changing the status quo,
and often more useful than traditional reshaping policy, and creating a sus-
tabular data. GIS can be used to tained involvement relies on using
identify trends and areas of concern information. Through such informa-
that cross political jurisdictions, high- tion, stakeholders can become more
Page 9
informed and more involved. In fact, however, must make it easily accessi-
one of the keys to developing a useful ble to the public. Comprehensive and Comprehensive and
indicator system is to design it to stim- accessible information for all stakehold- accessible information
ulate feedback and change rather than ers is vital to reasoned and balanced
simply act as a monitoring mechanism. discussions and decision-making.
for all stakeholders is
Those who control the information, vital to reasoned and
balanced discussions
Opportunities for Funders and decision-making.
Foundations have played a key role in There are also several different
promoting greater civic education and approaches of coalition building and
participation in smart growth activi- more information is needed about the
ties. There is no better time than the success and limitations of these
present for funders to explore ways to approaches. How, for instance, do we To unleash the full
escalate that role, for we are at a criti- ensure that citizens gain "real" influ-
cal juncture in raising civic engage- ence rather than token input and that potential of smart
ment and making smart growth a last- interests from all socioeconomic inter- growth and thereby
ing issue that can bring about lasting ests are represented? Finally, we transform sprawl into
change. Foundations can provide need to learn more about how to
needed support for the research and change laws and policies so that citi- a broader sense of
monitoring of broad-based, collabora- zen participation and consensus build- civic participation,
tive smart growth efforts -- where citi- ing on growth issues are built into the foundations can com-
zens have been successfully engaged legal and political process.
-- and can assist groups and activities plement a research
Supporting Actions
engaging citizens and building collabo- agenda by providing
rative processes in the future. To unleash the full potential of smart support in on-the-
growth and thereby transform the
Research Into What Works ground smart growth
movement evolving to counter sprawl
With respect to research, more educa- into a broader sense of civic participa- areas.
tion is needed about the range of tion, foundations can complement a
activities taking place in regions research agenda by providing support
across the country to engage citizens in on-the-ground smart growth areas.
and what is working. More research
needs to be done on how citizen inter- Some key areas of support include:
ests are activated and mobilized on 1) informing and engaging citizens
smart growth issues. For instance, from all quarters, breaking down barri-
which regions are using which new ers where possible between them,
information tools and how successful and sustaining their interest and
is the use of these tools? What kinds involvement;
of information, means of communica- 2) leveraging and cross-fertilizing
tion, and techniques for participation existing local institutions in each
are most useful to educate and region, such as churches and civic
engage citizens? How is citizen par- and educational institutions;
ticipation best sustained over time? 3) changing and enforcing laws and
Moreover, is there a particular educa- policies to ensure that citizens gain
tion process that is needed to engage "real" influence, rather than token
lower income citizens in these issues? input, in growth decision-making;
More research is needed on how 4) ensuring representation particularly
engagement in smart growth activities among the poor and traditionally disen-
transfers to citizen engagement in franchised, in the smart growth debate;
other issues -- the potential "ripple 5) developing regional, community-led
effect" of involvement. consensus-building processes;
Page 10 Funders’ Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities
Conclusion
There are two recurring themes dynamic civic institutions and organi-
throughout each success story of zations, which play a crucial role in
communities battling sprawl. The first consensus building, information dis-
is that citizens need to be involved semination, and citizen education and
from the ground floor. Citizen advoca- empowerment.
cy and participation do make a differ-
ence, and smart growth can energize The second theme is that all long-
and activate citizens, giving them a term, successful smart growth initia-
greater sense of civic responsibility. tives involve continuous participation
Probably the single most prevalent by citizens in the process. Once an
way to involve the public is through initiative begins, it is not only impor-
Page 11
tant to see the project through but it work together to formulate policy for
is also crucial to maintain active civic their respective communities. This
involvement to perpetuate the social reinvigoration of democratic principles
capital that is realized from community is paying dividends in communities,
improvement and investment. Citizen and will continue to do so as long as
participation is part of our ever-adapt- citizens remain involved with their
ing, potentially ever-strengthening, communities, resulting in a true social
grass-roots democratic process. bonding and empowerment of commu-
nities over their own destiny.
It is indeed ironic that the issue of
sprawl, which has long undermined As the simple motto that has guided
community cohesion, is now serving progress in Chattanooga goes, "It
as a rallying point for both individuals takes all of us. . .and it takes forever."
and organizations to join forces and
Endnotes
1. Two of the most recent books making this point are Robert Putnam, Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community
(Simon & Schuster, 2000) at page 210; Andres Duany, Elizabeth Plater- Zyberk, and Jeff Speck, Suburban Nation: The Rise of Sprawl
and the Decline of the American Dream (North Point Press, 2000). This paper will not go into the oft made connection between sprawl
and alienation in general. As author Alan Ehrenhalt writes,"The American people are coming to the conclusion that sprawl is to blame
for a good deal of the discontent that attaches to end-of-the-century middle-class life." The New York Times, April 18, 1999. Suffice it
to say, however, that much more research is needed in this area.
2. See, e.g., Richard Sennet, The Fall of Public Man (W.W. Norton, 1976); Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities
(Vintage Books, 1961).
3. Putnam at 19.
4. Putnam at 214-215. Many refer to this as a "loss of a sense of place." See e.g, James Kuntsler, The Geography of Nowhere: The
Rise and Decline of America’s Man-made Landscape (Simon & Schuster, 1993)
5. Putnam at 213.
6. High Mileage Moms, a 1999 report by the Surface Transportation Policy Project. See (www.transact.org/Reports/highmilemoms/
text.htm).
7. Putnam at 211.
8. Duany, et. al., at 60.
9. J. Eric Oliver, "The Effects of Metropolitan Segregation on Economic Segregation and Local Civic Participation," 43 American Journal Of
Political Science (January 1999).
10. Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac (Oxford University Press, 1949).
11. Phyllis Myers, Livability at the Ballot Box: State and Local Referenda on Parks, Conservation, and Smarter Growth, Election Day 1998
(Brookings Institution, 1999) at 1.
12. The Washington Post, April 12, 1999.
13. Pew Center for Civic Journalism, Straight Talk From Americans -- 2000 (February, 2000), at (www.pewcenter.org/doingcj/research/
r_ST2000nat1.html).
14. For more information regarding NIMBY issues, see e.g., NIMBY: A Primer for Lawyers and Advocates (American Bar Association, 1999);
Herbert Inhaber, Slaying the NIMBY Dragon (Transaction Publishers, 1998).
15. "Exclusionary zoning" is the term used to describe zoning practices that have the effect of excluding lower income groups.
16. The following websites and texts may be a helpful starting point in assisting communities in promoting responsible growth. They also
serve as helpful guides to citizens who want to play a more active role in shaping their communities: the National Association of
Regional Councils (www.narc.org), the Institute for the Regional Community (www.narc.org/itrc/), the American Planning Association
(www.planning.org), the American Institute of Architects (www.e-architect.com), the Clinton-Gore Administration’s Livable Communities
Website (www.livablecommunities.gov), the Congress on the New Urbanism (www.cnu.org), the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy
(www.lincolninst.edu), the Smart Growth Network (www.smartgrowth.org), and the Sustainable Communities Network
(www.sustainable.org). David Bollier, How Smart Growth Can Stop Sprawl (Essential Books, 1998); Michael deCourcy Hinds, A Nice
Place to Live: Creating Communities, Fighting Sprawl (Public Agenda, 1999). There are many other helpful websites and texts as well.
17. National Civic League, Citizen Participation (2000). Available at (www.ncl.or/ncl/cat3.htm).
18. Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America (1835), ed. Phillips Bradley (Alfred A. Knopf, 1945).
19. Topsfield Foundation, Building Strong Neighborhoods at 12-13 (1998). The Topsfield Foundation helps communities organize "study
circles" in small-group peer-led discussions that bring together diverse people to address issues. The Foundation has a particular pro-
gram to encourage local study groups on sprawl.
20. For more on civic entrepreneurs, see Douglas Henton, et. al., Grassroots Leaders for a New Economy (Jossey-Bass, 1997).
21. This program maintains a database of community-based organizations that are addressing the environmental, economic, and social
impacts of sprawl; reviews smart growth policies from a neighborhood perspective and analyzes the policy’s possible impact on low-
income residents; and brings justice and equity values to the forefront of existing smart growth principals. For more information regard-
ing the National Neighborhood Coalition and its programs, see (www.neighborhoodcoalition.org).
22. William Shutkin, The Land That Could Be: Environmentalism and Democracy in the Twenty-First Century (MIT Press, 2000) at 238.
23. See Daniel Yankelovich, The Magic of Dialogue: Transforming Conflict into Cooperation (Simon & Schuster, 1999); The Consensus
Endnotes, continued
Building Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Reaching Agreement, ed. L. Susskind, S. McKearnen, and J. Thomas-Larmer (1999); D.
Henton, et al., Grassroots Leaders for a New Economy.
24. For an excellent overview of "success stories" involving citizen involvement and coalition building see Neal Peirce and Curtis Johnson,
Boundary Crossers: Community Leadership for a Global Age (The Academy of Leadership Press, 1997).
25. Peirce and Johnson, Boundary Crossers at 54 (1997).
26. The Silicon Valley Network has a website located at (www.jointventure.org).
27. Alliance for Regional Leadership Forum, May 4 -5, 2000, Leadership Forum Materials at 20 (2000). This conference examined the best
practices of innovative regional leadership in 18 regions across America.
28. The Envision Utah website is located at (www.envisionutah.org).
29. Examples of newspapers playing a role in their communities include those papers that have hired Neal Peirce and his colleagues to pro-
duce "Peirce Reports," which review the state of particular regions. An even stronger, proactive media commitment has been termed
"civic journalism."
30. The manual can be found at (www.libertynet.org/edcivic/buildhom.html).
31. John P. Kretzmann and John McKnight, Building Communities From the Inside Out: A Path Toward Finding and Mobilizing Community
Assets, (Northwestern Innovations Network, 1993). See also Carmen Sirianni & Lewis Friedland, Civic Innovation and American
Democracy, at (www.cpn.org/sections/new_citizenship/change.html).
32. According to Redefining Progress, a group that facilitates the development of community indicators, these steps should be taken when
creating an initial indicator report: 1) form a working group; 2) clarify your purpose; 3) identify your community’s shared values and
vision; 4) review existing models, indicators, and data; 5) draft a set of proposed indicators; 6) perform a technical review; 7) research
the data; 8) publish and promote the report; 9) update the report regularly. This group further suggests that when developing indicators
to always begin with the end in mind, and identify a small number of short and long-term community objectives based upon the commu-
nity. For more information see (www.rprogress.org).
33. There are many organizations that provide useful information regarding community indicators: Redefining Progress’ Community
Indicators Project (www.rprogress.org) - facilitates the development of community indicators, links existing and emerging projects, pro-
vides a directory database and gives basic information on over 200 community indicator projects around the US; Indicator Initiatives.
(iisd1.iisd.ca/measure/compindex.asp.) provides a comprehensive online information base of indicator initiatives being carried out in
the context of sustainable development; The National Neighborhood Indicators Project (www.urban.org/nnip/) tracks and compiles data
on communities, the Sustainable Development Indicators Group, a White House Interagency Working Group developed a list of recom-
mended national economic, environmental, and social indicators of sustainable development (see its report, Sustainable Development
in the United States: An Experimental Set of Indicators (December 1998).
34. G. Thomas Kingsley, The Urban Institute, Building and Operating Neighborhood Indicator Systems: A Guidebook at 21 (1999). More
information about GIS is available at the U.S. Geological Survey (sflwww.er.usgs.gov/); Essential Information (www.essential.org/gis/
index.html); GreenInfo Network (www.greeninfo.org). Minnesota State Representative Myron Orfield has pioneered the use of GIS for
the mapping of regional trends. See Myron Orfield, Metropolitics: A Regional Agenda for Community and Stability (Brookings Institution
Press, 1997).
35. Livable Communities, Empowering Individuals and Communities. (www.livablecommunities.gov/toolsandresources/ic_c2020.htm). See
also (www.hud.gov/cpd/2020soft.html).
36. More information about this program is available at (edcdgs9.cr.usgs.gov/urban).
37. More information about these programs are available at (www.epa.gov/empact) and (www.epa.gov).
38. Several excellent websites provide updated information on these new technologies, including the U.S. Department of Energy Center of
Excellence for Sustainable Development site at www.sustainable.doe.gov and the Sustainable Communities Network site at
(www.sustainable.org/information/resources_column).
39. See reference in footnote 16.
Funders’ Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities • L. Benjamin Starrett, Executive Director
Collins Center for Public Policy, Inc., 150 SE 2nd Avenue, Suite 709, Miami, Florida 33131
Phone: 305-377-4484 • Fax: 305-377-4485 • Email: bstarrett@collinscenter.org