SMART GROWTH

THEORY
 :Smart growth is

An urban planning and transportation theory
that concentrates growth in compact
walkable urban centers to avoid sprawl the
concept of "smart growth" emerged in 1992
from the United Nation's adoption of 
Agenda 21 at the 
UN Conference on Environment and Develo
pment
 (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 
Smart growth is related to, or used
in combination with the following
:concepts

 New Urbanism
 New Community Design
 Sustainable Development
 Traditional Neighborhood Development
 Resource Stewardship
 Land Preservation
 Preventing Urban Sprawl 
 Creating Sense of Place
 Development Best Practices 
 Preservation Development
 Triple Bottom Line (TBL) Accounting - People, Planet, Profit
 The Three Pillars - Human, Natural, and Created Capital
There are 10 accepted principles
:that define smart growth

 Mix land uses
 Take advantage of compact building design
 Create a range of housing opportunities and choices
 Create walk able neighborhoods
 Foster distinctive, attractive communities with a strong sense of place
 Preserve open space, farmland, natural beauty, and critical
environmental areas
 Strengthen and direct development towards existing communities
 Provide a variety of transportation choices
 Make development decisions predictable, fair, and cost effective
 Encourage community and stakeholder collaboration in development
decisions
 Smart growth is an alternative
:to

Urban Sprawl, Traffic Congestion,
disconnected neighborhoods, and Urban
Decay
Its principles challenge old assumptions in
urban planning, such as the value of
detached houses and automobile use.
Environmentalists promote smart growth by
advocating Urban Growth Boundaries, or
Green Belts, as they have been termed in
England since the 1930s.
 Smart growth is an alternative
:to

Transit-oriented development can
improve the quality of life and encourage
a healthier, pedestrian-based lifestyle
with less pollution.
The United States Environmental
Protection Agency suggests Smart
growth to reduce Air Pollution
Compact neighborhoods

 Compact, livable urban neighborhoods attract
more people and business.
 Mixed Use Development
 Inclusion of Affordable Housing
 Restrictions or limitations on suburban design
forms (e.g., Detached houses on individual
lots, Strip Malls and surface Parking lots)
 Inclusion of Parks and recreation areas
 Transit-oriented
development

Transit-oriented development (TOD) is
a residential or commercial area
designed to maximize access to public
transport, and mixed-use/compact
neighborhoods tend to use transit at all
times of the day.
Pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly
design

Biking and walking instead of
driving can reduce emissions, save
money on fuel and maintenance,
and foster a healthier population
 Others

 Preserving open space and critical habitat, reusing land, and
protecting water supplies and air quality
 Transparent, predictable, fair and cost-effective rules for
development
 Historic Preservation
 Setting aside large areas where development is prohibited , nature
is able to run its course, providing fresh air and clean water.
 Expansion around already existing areas allows public services to
be located where people are living without taking away from the
core city neighborhoods in large urban areas.
 Developing around preexisting areas decreases the socioeconomic
segregation allowing society to function more equitably,
generating a tax base for housing, educational and employment
programs.