Talking Points: Smart Growth
REALTORS® build communities, and they recognize that improving and maintaining a community’s livability and affordability requires striking a delicate balance between private property rights and community interests. Smart growth is a local issue; state and federal mandates, with a one-size-fits-all approach, can’t respond to the nuances of local marketplaces.
The National Association of REALTORS® believes that planning, zoning and subdivision laws should evolve to accommodate mixed-use development; higher densities; and the changing population, employment and growth patterns of our increasingly diverse society.
REALTORS® don’t just sell homes – they build communities. The government’s ability to meet the challenge of rapid growth affects our customers – the country’s home and property owners.
REALTORS® want to be able to meet the changing demands of their clients and customers as consumers demand smarter growth; more walkable, mixed-use communities; and a wider range of housing options,
To help REALTORS® and their associations address all aspects of smart growth, NAR created a Smart Growth toolkit. The toolkit explains smart growth principles and provides REALTORS® with resources they can use to become more involved in their community’s smart growth planning and development. The toolkit is online at www.REALTOR.org/SmartGrowth under “Get Involved.”
REALTORS® care about improving communities through smart growth initiatives. Growth patterns, economic development and quality-of-life issues are inextricably linked to the success of communities and their residents.
According to the 2007 Growth and Transportation Survey, traffic congestion is a top concern in today’s communities. NAR and Smart Growth America conducted the survey, which describes Americans’ attitudes and beliefs about how development affects their immediate community. Nearly half of those surveyed think improving public transit would be the best way to reduce congestion, and 26 percent believe developing communities that reduce the need to drive would be the better alternative. Only one in five said building new roads was the answer.
NAR established the Smart Growth Action Grant program in 2005 to help REALTOR® associations create livable communities. Grants of up to $5,000 are awarded twice a year to state and local REALTOR® associations to support community planning activities that advance smart growth. NAR has awarded more than 77 grants totaling $208,000.
NAR’s Land Use Initiative is designed to help state and local REALTOR® associations in their public policy advocacy of land use issues. Upon request, NAR provides expert analysis of the legal, planning, economic and environmental issues surrounding legislative and regulatory land use proposals.
Updated 5/7/08
