Smart Growth Is Smart Business In Indiana

Jeffersonville Main Street, a nonprofit downtown revitalization and economic development group, invited former NJ Governor and EPA head Christine Todd Whitman to speak to elected officials and business leaders in southern Indiana and Louisville.

"'Billions of dollars have been spent to subsidize sprawl,' Whitman said, noting the cost of sewer and water lines, along with new roads and police stations to serve far-flung neighborhoods. 'It's not about no-growth. It's about control.'"

"Whitman said that by using smart-growth strategies, focusing on mixed-use developments and urban redevelopment, tax dollars are saved in the long run by avoiding costly infrastructure improvements and reducing commute times.

'Under our current system of growth we are maximizing inefficiencies,' she said. 'That's got to be a concern for every one of us.'"