Introduction to Smart Growth

Smart growth is a principle of land development that emphasizes mixing land uses, increases the availability of a range of housing types in neighborhoods, takes advantage of compact design, fosters distinctive and attractive communities, preserves open space, farmland, natural beauty and critical environmental areas, strengthens existing communities, provides a variety of transportation choices, makes development decisions predictable, fair and cost effective and encourages community and stakeholder collaboration in development decisions.

Smart growth is growth that protects natural resources, enhances quality of life, offers housing choices, and improves municipal finances by taking into consideration location, design and long-term costs.

Smart growth is not "no-growth," growth is needed to keep Massachusetts economically and culturally vibrant. Currently about 1/4 of the Commonwealth is developed and 1/4 is permanently protected. The remaining 50% of the Commonwealth's land is at stake. Some of this land will be needed to accommodate new housing and businesses. However, we are consuming far more land than necessary to accommodate our growth needs. The Audubon Society's Losing Ground report indicates that forty-four acres of land is consumed by development in Massachusetts every day. Almost 9 out of every 10 acres consumed go to residential development, with 65% of that used for low-density, large-lot development. The smart growth techniques included in this Toolkit will provide communities the ability to work with the commonwealth to use the remaining land as efficiently as possible, while building vibrant and sustainable neighborhoods and communities.

Smart Growth in Massachusetts

Attractive village and town centers, vibrant urban neighborhoods, historic mill buildings, and fields, forests, and streams characterize many parts of Massachusetts. These resources help define the character of our towns and cities. Revitalizing and reinforcing these areas is a key smart growth strategy. The character and high quality of life of our towns and cities is a competitive advantage that differentiates us from many other areas of our country. While Massachusetts is not known as a low cost state, our vibrant neighborhoods, historic building, and scenic open spaces are attractive to new businesses and their employees. A major threat to these resources is sprawl, defined as low-density, single-use, and auto-dependent development. Local zoning, state and federal subsidies, and lack of coordinated planning have historically made sprawl the path of least resistance. In many places sprawling development is the easiest form of development and more sustainable land use patterns and more desirable uses are difficult, if not impossible to achieve. Successful and walkable downtowns like Newburyport and Northampton cannot be realized in many communities because of outdated zoning codes that prohibit a mix of uses or zoning that is geared to accommodate cars and not people. Smart growth can help us to build on our competitive advantage of our charming communities instead of building sprawling growth that is typical across America.

The Costs of Sprawl

Sprawl is costly on many levels. Sprawling development requires significant and costly infrastructure investments to provide services such as roads, sewer, and water. When housing is located away from jobs and commercial centers, driving is often the only transportation option. According to the American Automobile Association the average cost of owning and operating a new car is now $8,410 a year. For the young, old, and families without cars, this reliance on one form of transportation can become a huge burden. The amount of time people spend in their cars every year is significant and climbing. Housing diversity is another casualty of sprawl. Single-family homes are often the only housing option. This one-size fits all approach leaves many without appropriate or affordable housing options. A single person may desire to rent an apartment or an "empty-nester" couple may prefer a condo but these options don't exist in every community. Sprawl also comes with a heavy environmental cost. Lot clearance for new development contributes to habitat fragmentation, increased storm water runoff, and loss of biodiversity. Air and water quality are also threatened by increased vehicle trips, increased runoff, and new demand for water. Recent research has demonstrated that less dense neighborhoods have human health consequences as well.

The Commonwealth's Sustainable Development Principles

The state has worked hard to encourage planning and development that protects our natural resources, promotes social and economic health, and meets the needs of our residents. A more detailed discussion of the state's smart growth efforts is included in another section of the Toolkit. However, as a basic guide to local officials, developers, and citizens about what smart growth is, the Office of Commonwealth Development has released The Sustainable Development Principles . The following ten principles express the characteristics of smart growth development.

1. Redevelop First: revitalizing existing neighborhoods doesn't require expensive new infrastructure or consume forest and fields and finds new uses for historic buildings and underutilized brownfield sites.
   
   
2. Concentrate Development: compact development conserves land and fosters vibrant and walkable districts. According to the Lincoln Institute, more compact development could save the public sector in the Northeast $40 billion over 25 years.
   
   
3. Be Fair: the benefits and burdens of development should be equitably shared by all. Transparent and predictable permitting will result in cost-effective and fair outcomes.
   
   
4. Restore and Enhance the Environment: the conservation, protection, and restoration of water, land, and cultural resources provides a high quality of life and ecological health.
   
   
5. Conserve Natural Resources: renewable energy and efficient use of building materials and water contribute to a healthier environment, limit waste, and are cost-effective.
   
   
6. Expand Housing Opportunities: expanding the number, affordability, and diversity of housing units will ensure that people of all abilities, income levels, and ages have appropriate housing options.
   
   
7. Provide Transportation Choice: opportunities for public transit, walking, and biking should be expanded.
   
   
8. Increase Job Opportunities: connecting people with jobs in their communities and close to homes and transportation infrastructure will expand our economy.
   
   
9. Foster Sustainable Businesses: great potential exists for new innovative industries and for resource-based industries to contribute to the social, economic, and environmental health of our state.
   
   
10. Plan Regionally: economic development, water, transportation, and housing are regional in nature they don't stop at the town boundary. Regional planning recognizes this and results in inter-municipal coordination and better outcomes.

This Toolkit is a guide to implementation of smart growth techniques that decision makers can use to turn these principles into reality. By applying these principles, towns, planners, and developers can evaluate proposals for smart growth consistency. A critical component of smart growth is identifying the areas that are appropriate for development and those that should be protected and preserved. Examples of areas that are not likely to be appropriate development locations are: prime farmland; wetlands; steep slopes; and areas with rare or endangered species. Good candidates for smart growth development include: downtowns; village centers; areas adjacent to these centers; brownfields; and sites with access to transportation and other infrastructure. Each region and community should participate in a comprehensive planning process to identify these locations within their towns. Following the identification of these areas, communities must ensure that zoning and other incentives will result in development consistent with these plans. Where and how a community chooses to implement smart growth should be explicitly reflected in the zoning and subdivision regulations that dictate future growth.