A set of policies and programs design to protect, preserve, and economically develop established communities and valuable natural and cultural resources.

In communities across the nation, there is a growing concern that current development patterns — dominated by what some call "sprawl" — are no longer in the long-term interest of cities, existing suburbs, small towns, rural communities or wilderness areas. There are costs involved with abandoning infrastructure in the city, only to rebuild it further out. Spurring the smart growth movement are demographic shifts, a strong environmental ethic, increased fiscal concerns and more nuanced views of growth.

New development and redevelopment done in a proactive approach to environmental protection and management.

The term "smart growth" has become widely used during the past five years. There is no one commonly-used definition of the term; however, in the context it is used in this plan, it refers to the comprehensive use of alternative development standards and strategies that reduce the impact of urban growth on the natural environment, integrate infrastructure into ecosystems and promote mixed use, higher density communities. The overall result is a reduction in development costs and the creation of more livable communities.

A set of policies and programs designed to protect, preserve and economically stimulate established communities, while protecting valuable natural and cultural resources and limiting sprawl.

Smart growth is development that serves the economy, the community, and the environment. It changes the terms of the development debate away from the traditional growth/no growth question to "how and where should new development be accommodated." For more information on smart growth visit http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/about_sg.htm

Policies aimed at reducing development sprawl patterns to create sustainable communities that minimize negative impacts on the natural environment.

Growing a community in a way that protects farmland and open space, revitalizes neighborhoods, keeps housing affordable and provides more transportation choices.

A perspective, method, and goal for managing the growth of a community. It focuses on the long-term implications of growth and how it may affect the community, instead of viewing growth as an end in itself. The community can vary in size; it may be as small as a city block or a neighborhood, or as large as a city, a metropolitan area, or even a region. Smart Growth promotes cooperation between often diverse groups to arrive at sustainable long-term strategies for managing growth. It is designed to create livable cities, promote economic development, and protect open spaces, environmentally sensitive areas, and agricultural lands.

Well-planned development that protects open space and farmland, revitalizes communities, keeps housing affordable and provides more transportation choices.

An overused term that means many different things to different organizations. MAR believes the best definition is always market driven, sometimes high-density, small-lot, mixed-use developments.

Development that uses a variety of strategies to enhance existing communities and protect community character in a way that is compatible with the natural environment and attracts economic development. It encourages more town-oriented, transit-focused, and pedestrian-friendly new development while restoring vitality to existing developed areas.

A contemporary catch phrase related to encourage development that better serves the economic, environmental and social needs of communities.  The US Environmental Protection Agency identifies the following 10 principles of smart growth: Mix Land Uses Take Advantage of Compact Building Design Create a Range of Housing Opportunities and Choices Create Walkable Neighborhoods Foster Distinctive, Attractive Communities with a Strong Sense of Place Preserve Open Space, Farmland, Natural Beauty, and Critical Environmental Areas Strengthen and Direct Development Towards Existing Communities Provide a Variety of Transportation Choices Make Development Decisions Predictable, Fair, and Cost Effective Encourage Community and Stakeholder Collaboration in Development Decisions

Efficient use of land resources and existing urban infrastructure.

Patterns of development that include a diversity of people building types and uses and that encourage open space preservation mixed use development and sustainable land use

A branch of land-use planning that addresses growth by redirecting public spending away from projects and programs that promote urban sprawl and toward those that revitalize cities and towns

A concept intended to promote the quality of life in existing urban areas, limit urban sprawl, and promote a sense of community. Policies stemming from smart growth include the restoration of center cities and older suburbs, investment in transit and pedestrian forms of transportation, a greater mix of housing, commercial, and retail uses and the preservation of open space and many other environmental amenities.

Environmentally-sensitive land development with the goals of minimizing dependence on auto transportation, reducing air pollution, and making infrastructure investments more efficient.

Collection of land use planning techniques that features compact, mixed-use, transit-oriented development with the objective of creating more attractive, livable, economically strong communities while protecting natural resources.

A set of policies and programs designed to discourage suburban sprawl and redevelop the center city and older suburbs through a process that emphasizes environmental, economic and financial priorities. This planning approach seeks to minimize the development of land beyond existing suburbs, preserve open spaces and protect valuable natural and cultural resources.

Well-planned development that channels growth into existing areas by investing in cities and older suburbs, while preserving green space and protecting the environment.

A planning concept that strives to create communities with walkable neighborhoods, mixed land use - including open space, a central business district, and an adequate public transportation system. Through better planning, smart growth allows for the needs of all community members to be met, while protecting the necessary natural areas for a healthy lifestyle. For more information on smart growth, click here.

Smart Growth British Columbia is a provincial non-profit organization dedicated to assisting community associations, local governments, the public and others to create more livable communities. The mission of Smart Growth BC is to promote more compact urban centres, stop urban sprawl, preserve environmental integrity and ensure more affordable housing in our communities. www.smartgrowth.bc.ca

Smart Growth, or quality growth, refers to developing urban (metropolitan) communities that are more hospitable, productive, and fiscally and environmentally responsible than most communities developed in the last century. The principles of smart growth are based on compact and multiuse development, infill and redevelopment, expansion of infrastructure, enhanced livability, expanded mobility, and conservation of open space. While some parties focus on one aspect of development over another, smart growth seeks to identify a common ground where developers, environmentalists, public officials, citizens, and others can all find ways to accommodate growth.

Generally, smart growth is development that consumes less land by encouraging it to occur in more compact form in communities that provide a variety of housing types, arranged around parks and playgrounds and neighbourhood shopping facilities, all accessible by pedestrian walkways and bikeways, and serviced by public transportation, thus reducing the use of automobiles to a minimum

Confining new residential and commercial growth to areas near municipal services through planning. Wisconsin law by same name now calls for and pays for communities to craft development plans.

Smart growth refers to a set of policies governing transportation and planning that benefit communities and preserve the natural environment. Smart growth advocates land use patterns that are compact, transit-oriented, walkable, bicycle-friendly, and include mixed-use development with a range of housing choices. This philosophy keeps density concentrated in the center of a town or city, combating urban sprawl.