Livable cities
Smart Growth Resources

Tune into the national movement against sprawl to understand how the issue affects your community.

REVIEWED BY KELLY QUIGLEY

SmartGrowthAmerica.org

The smart growth movement has been around for decades, but has resurged in headlines lately as home owners and civic leaders battle urban sprawl and push for walkable communities. Proponents of smart growth advocate well-designed cities that preserve their cultural roots, are close to schools and jobs, have ample recreational outlets, and respect the environment. Sounds like a tall order, but Smart Growth America is up to the challenge. The nonprofit organization works with national, state, and local groups to make America’s cities more “livable.” As someone who’s on the front line of housing issues, you’ll appreciate the vast online resources Smart Growth America offers on affordable housing, city planning, and urban sprawl. Some highlights:

• Housing. A primary goal of the smart growth movement is to expand the range of housing choices — in style, price, and location. “Drive until you qualify” simply isn’t an acceptable solution, according to Smart Growth America. In the housing section, find out What’s Behind the Affordability Crunch and learn how other communities are dealing with smart growth by reading Atlanta’s recent report on Making the Case for Mixed Income and Mixed Use Communities (2.2MB PDF) or browsing an online database of California Transit-Oriented Development.
  
• Preservation & Revitalization. Want to make sure your downtown’s strip will remain intact for generations? Have hopes of injecting new life into an underused retail center? Here, you’ll learn how sprawl detracts from preservation and revitalization efforts, and you’ll find links to other helpful Web sites that will help you reach your revitalization goals, including ScenicAmerica.org and the National Trust Main Street Center.
  
• Economy. Smart growth never makes more sense than when economic times are tough: Efficient development saves taxpayers money and makes it possible for households to spend less on transportation. This page demonstrates the tax benefits of well-designed communities and explains, in particular, How Smart Growth Strengthens Regional Economies.
  
• Children & Schools. You already know how important schools are to a home search, but how do they relate to smart growth? Advocates say all neighborhoods should have quality public schools that kids can walk to, as opposed to huge schools built in the middle of nowhere. Learn more about the Role of Schools in communities and link to various articles and reports on the topic, including a recent issue of On Common Ground, published by the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.
  
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