Community
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 our cities, existing suburbs, small towns, rural communities, or wilderness areas. Though supportive of growth, communities are questioning the economic costs of 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. The result is both a new demand and a new opportunity for smart growth.
Smart growth recognizes connections between development and quality of life. It leverages new growth to improve the community. The features that distinguish smart growth in a community vary from place to place. In general, smart growth invests time, attention, and resources in restoring community and vitality to city centers and to older suburbs. New smart growth is more town-centered, is transit and pedestrian oriented, and has a greater mix of housing, commercial and retail uses. It also preserves open space and many other environmental amenities. But there is no "one-size-fits-all" solution. Successful and sustainable communities do tend to have one thing in common--a vision of where they want to go and of what things they value in their community--and their plans for development reflect these values.
Below we have included some of these visions from other communities, organizations and case studies.
EPA Sustainable Community Tool Kit
The Green Communities Program is a web-based toolkit and planning guide designed to help communities access the tools and information to help them become more sustainable, Green Communities. The Green Communities program offers a 5-step planning process, publications, case studies and techical assistance through its web-based toolkit.
Sustainable Communities Network
A huge searchable database or resources vital to creating healthy, vital and sustainable communities. The resources include online and offline references as well as case studies, and funding sources.
Smart Growth Online from Smart Growth Network
In addition to the many resource areas (bibliographies, documents, etc.) in the Smart Growth Network website, specific topics of smart growth are organized into 7 issue areas that each contain overviews and on-line resources: Community Quality of Life, Design, Economics, Environment, Health, Housing, and Transportation.
Smart Growth America
Smart Growth America is a coalition of nearly 100 advocacy organizations that have a stake in how metropolitan expansion affects our environment, quality of life and economic sustainability. Their diverse coalition partners include national, state and local groups working on behalf of the environment, historic preservation, social equity, land conservation, neighborhood redevelopment, farmland protection, labor, town planning. There are many resources, reports and articles on this website about Smart Growth and community health.
Scorecard.org by Environmental Defense
Just enter your zip code and find out what pollutants are being released into your community --and who is responsible. Find out about the pollution problems in your community. Search by geographic area or company name, or learn more about environmental issues. Reports are currently available on: air quality criteria and hazardous air pollutants, land contamination, superfund sites and lead hazards, toxic chemical releases from industrial plants and animal waste produced by factory farms, Clean Water Act status and watershed health.
Community Eco-solutions from Pembina Institute
The Community Eco-Solutions program helps communities find ways to meet their energy needs through sustainable energy options including low-impact renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. Technical and business experts work with communities to develop community energy plans based on their needs and sustainable energy resources, to conduct a detailed assessment of various energy options, and to assist them in gaining financial support from potential project investors.
Smart Communities Network, A Project of the U.S. Department of Energy
The well-being of a community or nation can be measured in many ways. Traditional measurements often analyze a single issue by itself, such as the number of new jobs in a particular community.
But such an approach is one-dimensional, and does not reveal the quality of those jobs or their impact on the local economy. More meaningful than simply new jobs, measuring the number of children living in poverty indicates the relationship of social health to local economic performance.
New measurements called "Indicators of Sustainability" are designed to provide information for understanding and enhancing the relationships between the economic, energy use, environmental, and social elements inherent in long-term sustainability.
Indicators serve as valuable tools for profiling local energy consumption patterns as a sustainability benchmark. Communities such as Santa Monica, Chicago, and Jacksonville are using indicators to gather and evaluate information on both current energy use and future alternatives for the residential, commercial, industrial and transportation sectors. This information is vital in planning for and managing the energy resources that will support sustainable development.
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