Tiny Maryland Town Wants Smart Growth

The new plan for growth involves acquiring nearly 400 acres of farmland and building about 300 homes, effectively tripling the town of Vienna's small population. But the mayor doesn't want to just sprinkle homes on the new land. He's planning on integrating this new development with existing homes, utilizing existing infrastructure, and designing homes to match the existing style.

"A preliminary plan envisions houses designed to match the white clapboard homes in the older part of Vienna, linking new and old in a seamless extension of streets that were first laid out when the town got its charter in 1706. New neighborhoods and old would be centered on a new town square with a new Town Hall building, Mayor Russell Brinsfield says."

"Supporters say Vienna's project is classic smart growth -- a carefully planned cluster of neighborhoods linked to water and sewer and other services instead of new homes scattered across scarce rural farmland on wells and septic systems."