Smart growth 101
Smart growth is a holistic approach to community design that uses interdisciplinary land use and transportation strategies.
About us
Smart Growth America cultivates vibrant, sustainable communities with diverse living and transportation options, enhancing quality of life for all.
Our work
Smart Growth America cultivates vibrant, sustainable communities with diverse living and transportation options, enhancing quality of life for all.
Explore Our Signature Reports
Impact
Smart Growth America cultivates vibrant, sustainable communities with diverse living and transportation options, enhancing quality of life for all.
Events
Throughout the year, we host a number of in-person and virtual events covering topics related to public health, social equity, and climate resilience.
Knowledge hub
We offer a library of case studies, videos, and reports to support policymakers, practitioners, and advocates interested in advancing smart growth.
Explore our signature reports
How we work
Our interdisciplinary approach
Smart growth looks different from place to place—it’s an overall approach to development that encourages a mix of building types and uses, diverse housing and transportation options, development within existing neighborhoods, and robust community engagement.
Our focus areas—transportation and land use—are deeply connected. How and where we build housing, jobs, and services directly impacts how people move through their communities. Sprawling, car-dependent development limits options and strains resources, while smart growth prioritizes building within existing neighborhoods to support affordability, accessibility, and sustainability. By aligning land use, housing, and transportation, we can create vibrant, inclusive places where people can thrive, no matter how they choose to get around.
Transportation and Complete Streets
Americans want a transportation system that gets them where they need to go safely and efficiently. Unfortunately, federal transportation investments have failed to develop a system that can accomplish this one, essential task. No matter how much we spend, traffic, emissions, and pedestrian deaths only seem to increase. It’s time to admit our current strategy isn’t working and reorient our investments around what actually matters to everyday people.
Land use and development
Smart Growth America works to dismantle racist and exclusionary land use policies to increase housing access, protect low-income households at risk of climate change impacts, and promote connectivity between essential destinations. To achieve these goals, we focus on range of interconnected topics, including zoning, housing policy, economic development, real estate, and brownfields redevelopment.
How we do it
At the core of our overall approach is empowering communities through direct community support, powerful advocacy, and thought leadership to realize our vision of livable places, healthy people, and shared prosperity.
Direct community support
Smart Growth America’s Technical Assistance programs work alongside and within communities of all sizes and organizations to build support for policies and practices that will lead to healthy, prosperous, and resilient places.
Powerful advocacy
Smart Growth America collaborates with Congress and the administration to ensure federal policies foster economically strong, socially equitable, and environmentally sustainable communities nationwide.
Impactful research and reports
Smart Growth America guides leaders in creating inclusive, efficient, and sustainable living environments through thought leadership, sharing cutting-edge insights and innovative strategies.
Explore how Smart Growth America impacts communities.
The smart growth movement creates communities that are equitable, resilient, and well-connected to essential destinations no matter how you choose to get around. Click to learn more about how we are working to bring about measurable change:
Resources
News
Our programs and coalitions
At Smart Growth America, our various programs and coalitions work collaboratively to shape communities where people thrive. Through research, advocacy, and hands-on support, our network of advocates, decision-makers, and field experts work together to advance policies and practices that prioritize safety, equity, and sustainability.
Join the Movement
Support policies and initiatives that promote smart growth, equitable development, and access to affordable housing.
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Livable places. Healthy people. Shared prosperity.
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