To build healthy communities, cities and older suburbs must develop solutions to a laundry list of problems: crime, environmental threats, inappropriate development, job loss, business decline, poor housing, and social service gaps.
“Smart growth” means encouraging population growth in cities rather than sprawling suburbs. It’s smart because it reduces energy use and carbon emissions, and thereby maintains biodiversity and encourage the growth of forests and open spaces.
To achieve smart growth requires the involvement of all local stakeholders — local citizens, civic organizations, city departments, community organizations, businesses, faith groups, schools, and institutions — in planning for the future. Giving community members a seat at the planning table creates timely, cost-effective, win-win solutions.