Issues: Smart Growth

We all have a pretty good idea of what sprawl looks like -- the endless strip malls, anonymous suburbs, and long lines of traffic. Now, thanks to innovative designers and civic leaders across the country, we are getting a better sense of what the solutions to sprawl look like.

Often referred to as smart growth, these alternatives look a lot like the great neighborhoods of older cities and towns. They place affordable apartments and houses within walking distance of offices, stores, and entertainment. They pay attention to details like front porches, wide sidewalks, and community parks that encourage people to gather with their neighbors. They plan development around public transit, so people can spend less time in their cars. And whenever possible, they focus development in already existing communities, so that outlying farmland and open space remain protected.

The following pages offer a glimpse what smart growth looks like in real communities across the United States. They show that towns and cities embrace smart-growth neighborhoods, people choose to live and work in them, governments support them, and, yes, developers can profit from them. In short, they show us what a sprawl-free landscape could look like.

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Based on SOLVING SPRAWL: Models of Smart Growth in Communities Across America, a November 2001 book published by the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Related NRDC pages:
Solving Sprawl summary

last revised 11.12.01