Smart Growth Policy

The source for New Urbanism, smart growth, and walkable communities

Smart growth policy

What public policy initiatives would facilitate smart growth goals? Many possibilities come to mind:

• Zoning reform to allow more compact, mixed use development

• Regional planning to coordinate land use and transportation

• Transportation reform to promote interconnected networks of walkable streets and better transit systems

• The proactive retrofitting of suburban areas, particularly abandoned shopping centers and malls, as mixed-use, transit-friendly town centers

• Carbon and/or petroleum taxes, which indirectly affect development patterns. Relatively high gasoline taxes in Europe have long provided an economic incentive for people to live in places where walking, bicycling, and mass transit are options — thus increasing the supply of compact, walkable places.

Dangerous By Design

A study released in November called Dangerous by Design, by Transportation for America, takes a comprehensive look at pedestrian danger in the US. During the last 15 years, more than 76,000 pedestrians have been killed.

Concern about rising rents in transit oriented places

Families across the US who live in affordable, subsidized, rental units within a half mile of public transit are at risk of rising rents in the next five years, according to a report published by AARP.

Obama and Congress start putting the pieces together

Top-level hiring and legislative proposals are moving Washington toward a more urban outlook.

Moving Minds: Conservatives and Public Transportation

A review of a persuasive argument for transit

Federal program excites smart growth advocates

DOT and HUD announce a joint effort to merge land use and planning to improve livability.

Fed stimulus seen as ‘down payment’ on smart growth

The $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that President Obama signed on Feb. 17 left advocates of compact and transit-oriented development practically biting their tongues. Only a small portion of the spending explicitly fits the smart-growth agenda, but disappointment was muted — in part because of signs that the Obama team may soon take more direct action on development issues.

For effective stimulus, promote street networks

The new US administration’s economic stimulus plan is sometimes framed as a battle between roads and transit. The Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) has a sensible proposal to bridge that divide — if anyone is listening.

Smart growth agenda may mesh with Obama’s

The financial crisis, housing collapse, and other issues present opportunities for federal policies to encourage compact development.

New urbanists urged to wage national campaign

Geoffrey Anderson, the head of Smart Growth America, calls for an intensive push on development issues.

Letters to Obama

New Urban News asked some leading new urbanists to write open letters to President-elect Barack Obama in December 2008 to identify a new national agenda for urbanism. We received the following responses: