Smart growth

Definition

Smart growth is an urban planning and development approach that aims to create sustainable, environmentally-friendly communities by promoting compact, walkable neighborhoods, efficient public transportation, and mixed-use development. This strategy is essential for addressing the challenges posed by urbanization and population growth while ensuring the preservation of natural resources and the enhancement of quality of life for residents.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Smart growth prioritizes high-density development to minimize urban sprawl and protect open spaces.
2. This approach emphasizes the importance of community engagement in the planning process to ensure that developments meet the needs and desires of local residents.
3. Smart growth incorporates green infrastructure practices, like parks and green roofs, which enhance urban environments while providing ecological benefits.
4. By promoting walkability and public transportation options, smart growth aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality in urban areas.
5. Policies related to smart growth can help address issues of social equity by ensuring that affordable housing is integrated into new developments.

Review Questions

• How does smart growth address urbanization challenges, particularly in rapidly growing cities?
  • Smart growth tackles urbanization challenges by promoting compact and efficient land use that accommodates increasing populations without expanding into rural areas. By encouraging mixed-use developments and walkable neighborhoods, it helps reduce traffic congestion and reliance on cars. Additionally, smart growth focuses on improving public transportation infrastructure, making it easier for residents to access jobs and services without contributing to urban sprawl.
• Discuss the role of community engagement in the smart growth planning process and its impact on sustainable development.
  • Community engagement is a crucial aspect of the smart growth planning process as it ensures that the voices of local residents are heard and considered in decision-making. This involvement helps identify community needs and preferences, leading to more effective and accepted development strategies. By fostering a sense of ownership among residents, community engagement can enhance the sustainability of projects through ongoing support for initiatives that promote environmental health and quality of life.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of smart growth strategies in mitigating the negative impacts of urban sprawl on social equity and environmental sustainability.
  • Smart growth strategies are effective in mitigating the negative impacts of urban sprawl by promoting more equitable access to resources and opportunities in urban areas. These strategies encourage affordable housing development near transit lines and job centers, reducing socioeconomic disparities. Environmentally, smart growth minimizes habitat destruction by limiting expansion into rural areas, while also reducing emissions through increased walkability and public transit use. The comprehensive focus on both social equity and environmental sustainability makes smart growth a holistic solution for modern urban challenges.

Related terms

Sustainable Development: A development approach that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, often focusing on environmental, economic, and social sustainability.

Urban Sprawl: The uncontrolled expansion of urban areas into rural land, often leading to increased traffic congestion, loss of agricultural land, and environmental degradation.

Transit-Oriented Development (TOD): A planning strategy that focuses on creating dense, mixed-use communities around public transportation hubs to encourage public transit use and reduce reliance on cars.