-
Smart Growth America
Smart Growth America is a coalition of national, state and local organizations working to improve the way towns, cities and metro areas are planned and built [1]. The coalition includes many well-known national organizations advocating on behalf of historic preservation, the environment, farmland and open space preservation, neighborhood revitalization and related issues. As part of its mission statement, Smart Growth America proclaims,
"Americans want fewer hours in traffic and more opportunities to enjoy green space; housing that is both affordable and close to jobs and activities; healthy cities, towns and suburbs; air and water of the highest quality; and a landscape our children can be proud to inherit. Smart growth offers the best chance we have of attaining those goals."
Major initiatives of Smart Growth America are as follows:
Revitalizing Cities
The downtowns of older cities were developed prior to the automobile, and thus have good smart growth "bones" that can make them efficient, vibrant places again if properly redeveloped. The Restoring Prosperity Initiative offers policy and legislative solutions, examples of innovative programs, and guidelines for reclaiming vacant property, for example [2]. Resources specifically address the problems of smaller industrial cities, restoration of contaminated "brownfield" sites, land banking, use of historic preservation tax credits,, state policies to address the mortgage crisis. Advice is offered on political and communications strategies.
Leadership Training
Many community leaders are overwhelmed by the tasks of changing the existing development patterns, overhauling outdated plans, and rewriting laws and regulations to favor smarter growth. The Smart Growth Leadership Institute helps state and local elected, civic, and business leaders design and implement effective land use strategies to successfully manage future growth.
Complete Streets
Smart Growth America is a major partner in the Complete Streets Coaltion. Complete Streets are designed and operated to enable safe access for all users. Pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and bus riders of all ages and abilities are able to safely move along and across a complete street.
State Policy
State leaders have greatly influence the landscapes of their states — enabling better design, planning, and development. To this end, The Governors’ Institute on Community Design, supported by Smart Growth America, advises governors and state leaders as they seek to guide growth and development.
Filling Vacant Property
Vacant property can comprise 15% of land in large cities. The National Vacant Properties Campaign exists to provide everyone – individuals, advocates, agencies, developers, non-profits, and others – with information resources, tools, and assistance to support their vacant property revitalization efforts, to create opportunity from abandonment.
Smart Schools
The Smart Schools Initiative is a national effort designed to bridge the movements for education equity and for smart growth. The goal is to reform the way schools are designed, so that they fit into neighborhoods encouraging children to walk or bike to school and providing an after-hours recreation resource in park-poor neighborhoods.
ALSO ON THE LIVABLE STREETS NETWORK
- Streetsblog: More People, Less Driving: The Imperative of Curbing Sprawl. September 3, 2009.
- Streetsblog San Francisco: Growth of Compact Development Likely, Important for Reducing VMT. September 25, 2009.
REFERENCES
Each source is referred to by the same number every time it is cited. Please keep citation style consistent.
[1] What We Do. Smart Growth America.
[2] Restoring Prosperity Initiative.
PICTURE REFERENCES
Pictures are cited in the order they appear above. Please keep citation style consistent.
[1] Photo via American Farmland Trust, Farming on the Edge Report.
[2] San Diego Uptown development. Photo by faceless b via Flickr.
FURTHER READING
KEYWORDS
organizations, smart growth, sprawl, farmland, historic preservation, revitalization, transit oriented development, compact development
