By Brian O’Leary, AICP

Planners often use slightly-vague terms that aren’t easily conveyed to the general public or elected officials, and smart growth is one of these. What exactly is smart growth? And, for that matter, what is dumb growth? I suppose dumb growth is sprawling growth that does not take into account existing conditions and needs or conservation goals. Smart growth is the opposite of that, trying to balance walkable mixed-use development with preserved open space.

Here are a couple of national definitions of smart growth:

• The Smart Growth Alliance defines smart growth as:

Smart growth looks different from place to place—it’s an overall approach to development that encourages a mix of building types and uses, diverse housing and transportation options, development within existing neighborhoods, and robust community engagement.

• The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency defines smart growth as:

Smart growth is an overall approach of development and conservation strategies that can help protect our health and natural environment and make our communities more attractive, economically stronger, socially diverse, and resilient to climate change. 

The EPA goes on to list ten principles to guide smart growth, which are:

1. Mix land uses.
2. Take advantage of compact building design.
3. Create a range of housing opportunities and choices.
4. Create walkable neighborhoods.
5. Foster distinctive, attractive communities with a strong sense of place.
6. Preserve open space, farmland, natural beauty, and critical environmental areas.
7. Strengthen and direct development towards existing communities.
8. Provide a variety of transportation choices.
9. Make development decisions predictable, fair, and cost effective.
10. Encourage community and stakeholder collaboration in development decisions.

I think all planners can agree with these principles, and we’ve seen many regional and county planning agencies focus on smart growth in their comprehensive plans, such as Lancaster and Chester Counties. Local municipalities have also folded smart growth into their comprehensive plans, and smart growth, despite its apparent vagueness, has become a bedrock principle of community planning.