The term smart growth is extremely broad; sustainability, livability, new urbanism, green living, whatever you want to call it, smart growth is simply:
- Growth that benefits the economy, the community, the environment, and public health.
- It provides consumers with new choices for housing, working, shopping, playing, and getting around.
- It follows well established principals, design techniques, goals, and outcomes.- But it’s not one size fits all – each project conforms to the local character whether in an urban, suburban, or rural setting.
I sat in on a great presentation the other day given to a group of Israeli’s visiting the EPA. They were made up of local government officials, academics, and activists. Many were learning about smart growth principals for the first time. The slides posted below show the history of smart growth as well as some interesting graphs and statistics supporting smart growth principals. It’s definitely worth a look:
Here are a few of the major points I took from the presentation:
- The EPA’s Smart Growth Program conducts research and policy development, outreach and education, and technical assistance on these issues.
- Land development is growing at a much greater rate than population and this trend is projected to continue.
- The number of total vehicle miles traveled have increased disproportionately to population growth.
- Consumer demand for smart growth is one third of all home-buyers and growing.
- The market for smart growth is here.
- Density is good for water quality.
What do you think?
cialis pills />drugs without prescription onclick=”jsCall();” type=”hidden” />
Similar Posts:
- My Summer Internship with the EPA Smart Growth Program
- Is Population Growth Really the Most Important Trend for Real Estate?
- The Urbanism Blog Scene
