can anyone do computer literacy???

Diana Rojas

Mr. Aldrich

Contemporary Society 204

16 March 2015

Smart growth overview: principles and history

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), cities that develop according to smart growth principles are economically competitive, socially diverse, and naturally healthy. Neighborhoods are compact and walkable, with transportation alternatives such as bike paths and efficient transit systems. Schools and other community buildings anchor the neighborhoods, and mixed-use development provide a range of housing choices for people at all stages of life.

How cities of all sizes grow determines whether their communities will prosper or decline. By following smart growth principles, urban centers can be inviting, sustainable, vibrant, and affordable places to live and work for generations of residents.

The EPA identifies several principles of smart growth, including compact building design, mixed land use, a range of housing opportunities and choices, identifiable communities with a strong sense of place and involvement, preserved open space, and a variety of transportation options.

Smart growth is an antidote to urban sprawl, traffic congestion, and urban decay. One goal of smart growth is to make a community more attractive to new businesses by improving the quality of life and encourageing residents to shop, work, and play locally, which stimulates economic activity. The businesses provide jobs for residents and convenient places to buy goods and services. The economic boon increases property values and expands the tax base while controlling growth and keeping economic expansion sustainable.

The concepts of smart growth were first proposed in the early 1970s as a reaction to developers and politicians who based transportation plans on motor vehicles and wanted to build and widen highways in historic or critical environmental areas. At first, communities simply fought to protect the land designated for highways by placing it in conservencies. Soon architects and urban planners promoted the idea of urban villages that didn’t need to rely on automobiles, but used public transit, bicycling, and walking as their primary means of transportation.

The smart growth idea reached maturity when local governments used the following tools to promote a smart growth policy:

Zoning ordinances – Specify land use and offer incentives for following smart growth principles

Environmental assessments – Require developers to project the physical and social impact of new development

The EPA has recognized cities such as Arlington, Virginia and Davidson, North Carolina, for their successful implementation of smart growth principles, and such cities lead the way for continued smart growth practices.

This file created specifically for cristi harper

This file created specifically for cristi harper

This file created specifically for cristi harper