Smart Growth

Years ago, when I was researching my thesis concerning city planning thought in the 1940s and 50s, I came across an article from an American planning journal, which stated that "everyone is in favor of fast and efficient freeways" – the epitome of prevailing orthodoxy in an era of Interstate Highway construction. Now, when I share this quote with students, it only elicits derisive laughter.

October 15, 2012 - Michael Dudley

In the triple bottom line of profits, planet, and people, it's people that tend to get the shaft. Scott Doyon lays out seven ways to change that.

October 5, 2012 - PlaceShakers

A new study shows that denser, more transit-oriented development will lead to an overall decrease in miles driven, reports Angie Schmitt.

September 19, 2012 - Streetsblog

Blogging on HuffPo, Greg LeRoy, director of Good Jobs First, makes the case that transit, transit oriented development and smart growth are key factors in job growth.

September 7, 2012 - Huffington Post

DC Planning Director Harriet Tregoning discusses plans to create a pedestrian-oriented space out of the 11th Street Bridge as part of a larger goal of uniting DC around the Anacostia River, making it an amenity and not a barrier.

September 5, 2012 - The Planning Report

While it might seem like the Agenda 21 conspiracy theorists have arisen quite quickly out of the murky backwaters of the Republican party, Llewellyn Hinkes-Jones traces the lengthy enti-environmentalist roots of the movement.

September 2, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

In producing updated sewer service maps, New Jersey's 21 counties have partnered to sketch out statewide development well into the future. Critics complain that the plans favor developers over the environment, reports Jill P. Capuzzo.

August 6, 2012 - The New York Times

A recent paper by Harvard economists Daniel Shoag and Peter Ganong titled, Why Has Regional Convergence in the U.S. Stopped? indicates that land development regulations tend to increase housing costs, which contributes to inequality by excluding lower-income households from more economically productive urban regions. Does this means that planners are guilty of increasing income inequality?

July 26, 2012 - Todd Litman

As the U.S. experiences its worst drought in over half a century, Kaid Benfield questions the connection with the country's suburban growth patterns over that same period.

July 20, 2012 - Switchboard

July 16, 2012 - Charles Siegel

A new bill proposing major cuts to the EPA could rob cities across the country of a specialized set of programs created to boost economic well-being.

July 10, 2012 - Next American City

I appreciate natural environments. I have always enjoyed walking in wilderness and cycling on rural roads, and I understand the ecological value provided by undeveloped lands, which include clean water, air and wildlife habitat. I also enjoy local fresh vegetables and fruits and so appreciate the value of preserving regional farmlands. Planners call these "greenspace," or more generally "openspace" since some, such as deserts and waterways, are open but not necessarily green.

June 27, 2012 - Todd Litman

According to James A. Bacon, "Smart growth is too important to leave to liberals." In a new essay, he argues that "Conservatives must articulate their own vision for creating prosperous, livable and fiscally sustainable communities."

June 4, 2012 - Bacon's Rebellion

Congratulations to this year's high school, college and university graduates! The current crop includes our son, who was recruited by a major corporation. The location of his new job will affect his travel patterns and therefore the transportation costs he bears and imposes for the next few years: until now he could get around fine by walking, cycling and public transport, but his new worksite is outside the city center, difficult to access except by automobile. As a result he will spend a significant portion of his new income to purchase and operate a car, and contribute to traffic congestion, parking costs and pollution. This is an example of how land use decisions, such as where corporations locate their offices, affects regional transport patterns and costs.

June 3, 2012 - Todd Litman

An important new study published by the Arizona Department of Transportation indicates that, contrary to claims by critics, urban corridors have considerably less congestion than suburban corridors, despite many times higher densities.

May 25, 2012 - Streetsblog D.C.

Robert Steuteville looks at a recent report on the Golden State's supply and demand imbalance in the housing market. It's not what the The Wall Street Journal has led you to believe.

May 2, 2012 - Better Cities & Towns

After a decade in ascendance, smart growth is showing its age. As its agenda becomes "formulaic and even clinical," Kaid Benfield argues for the need to reinvigorate, or move beyond, smart growth with more attention paid to the quality of a place.

April 24, 2012 - Switchboard

The Wall Street Journal's obsession with planning in California continued this past weekend, as they asked Joel Kotkin, demographer and "Truman Democrat", to discuss what he believes is driving "the great California exodus".

April 23, 2012 - The Wall Street Journal

Lisa Hymas has a fascinating look at the anti-sprawl effort championed by Mitt Romney during his time as Governor of Massachusetts, which became the model for a key Obama “smart growth” initiative — the Partnership for Sustainable Communities.

April 23, 2012 - Grist

Maybe not. But smart growth experts appearing at the APA in Los Angeles say it may be morphing into whatever the "next big thing" is.

April 16, 2012 - California Planning & Development Report