Smart Growth Promotion

Many people and organizations are involved in the promotion of Smart Growth principles.

Who Promotes Smart Growth Nationally?

Over the past decade, Smart Growth has become widely accepted and made into policy through state and local legislation. Maryland was the first to officially legislate "Smart Growth" through its Smart Growth and Neighborhood Conservation Initiative in 1997. Several states such as Maryland and New Jersey now have Smart Growth offices or centers. For many states, planning, commerce, and conservation offices have been addressing Smart Growth for years through studies and land use policy recommendations.

Universities are now incorporating Smart Growth into their planning, preservation, and environmental science programs. The University of Maryland hosts the National Center for Smart Growth, producing studies dealing with national issues, and the local impact of Maryland's Smart Growth legislation. Some locally focused organizations, like 1,000 Friends of Oregon, have been propelled into the national spotlight for their work on Smart Growth issues. Examples of several national organizations that have taken the lead in terms of promoting Smart Growth agendas and assisting local governments, communities, and developers in implementing Smart Growth follow.

• American Planning Association: The American Planning Association (APA) is a national, nonprofit research organization, based in Chicago, focusing on land-use planning, transportation planning, policy, and zoning issues. It also operates its professional institute--the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). APA has produced a significant number of reports, books, multimedia resources, and periodicals relating to a variety smart growth issues.
  
  
• Smart Growth Network: Smart Growth Network (SGN) was created in 1996 as a coalition of national organizations, convened by the U.S. Department of Environmental Protection (EPA). SGN offers a service called Smart Growth Online (www.smartgrowth.org) — "a web-based catalogue of Smart Growth-related news, events, information and resources." Smart Growth Online is a collaboration between the US EPA and Sustainable Communities Network.
  
  
• Smart Growth America: Smart Growth America (SGA) is a national nonprofit coalition of organizations that focuses on research and policy to promote Smart Growth initiatives. SGA's membership includes over 100 organizations dealing with planning, community development, conservation, affordable housing, bicycling and transit, land use law, public policy, and historic preservation. SGA's work includes convening its Smart Growth Council, comprised of "business, labor, government and civic leaders" to discuss Smart Growth policy; its Smart Growth Leadership Institute, providing resources to communities to aid in designing and advancing a Smart Growth agenda; the National Vacant Properties Campaign; and reports on Smart Growth policy and the impacts of sprawl.
  
  
• Urban Land Institute: The Urban Land Institute (ULI) is a nonprofit Washington D.C.-based organization focusing on land-use issues in the context of the development industry. ULI's mission is "to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide." ULI undertakes research, creates publications, and hosts forums on pertinent land-use issues. It maintains district councils in 14 countries and 47 U.S. cities, including Philadelphia.
  
  
• Congress for the New Urbanism: New Urbanism is a planning and land use movement in the U.S. started in the late 1980s by a group of planners and architects including Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk. The work of the New Urbanists is largely advanced by the Chicago-based nonprofit Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU). New Urbanism was created with the goal of "reform[ing] all aspects of real estate development," promoting building forms that echo the ideals of older urban areas-concentrated, walkable, mixed-use communities. New Urbanism has influenced a variety of settings, with the most well-known being new communities such as Florida's Seaside and Celebration. New Urbanism had significant impact in shaping the federal Hope VI Program, which supported the redevelopment of high-rise public housing projects into lower-density, mixed-income communities. New Urbanism shares many of the core values that have come to define Smart Growth.

Who Promotes Smart Growth in the Delaware Valley?

• Delaware Valley Smart Growth Alliance: DVSGA is an "initiative of various government, private sector and non-profit organizations in the Greater Philadelphia tri-state region encompassing Southeastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey, and Delaware." Its major role is to endorse projects that exhibit a strong commitment to Smart Growth principles, in accordance with its set of criteria, covering elements including location, density, design, diversity, mobility, environmental impact, and community participation. Applicants submit their project plans for consideration. They are judged quarterly by an independent jury, and either awarded endorsement or not. DVSGA only considers projects that are in the planning stage (not under construction or built), as its goal is to support projects through the permitting process.
  
  
• 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania: 10,000 Friends is a policy and advocacy organization, focusing on land use and resource consumption issues across Pennsylvania. It produces toolkits on key policy issues, and publications and studies regarding land use and Smart Growth subjects. It organizes the Southeastern PA Metropolitan Development Network, bringing developers to the table to talk about land use issues, and undertakes state policy advocacy and lobbying efforts. Since 2003, 10,000 Friends has also run its annual Commonwealth Design Awards, recognizing "smart development projects" and "local visionaries... [who] put Smart Growth and sound land use principles to work on the ground by designing and building cutting edge projects."
  
  
• New Jersey Future: New Jersey Future is a statewide policy and advocacy organization focusing on Smart Growth, land use, environmental, affordability, and transportation issues, as well as property tax policy. It produces regular studies and reports, and scorecards on the quality of development and municipal planning in meeting Smart Growth criteria. NJ Future additionally sponsors events and hosts its annual Smart Growth Awards.
  
  
• APA Pennsylvania Chapter: The Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Planning Association provides leadership in the development of vital communities by advocating excellence in community planning through education, empowerment, partnership, and public policy.
  
  
• APA New Jersey Chapter: New Jersey's local chapter of the American Planning Association develops resources for planners, organizations, and the general public.
  
  
• Association for the New Urbanism in Pennsylvania: ANUPA is the Pennsylvania Chapter of the national Congress for the New Urbanism. ANUPA holds events and provides resources for planners and community leaders in Pennsylvania. It was instrumental in pushing for the Traditional Neighborhood Development legislation in the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code. While New Jersey does not yet have a local CNU chapter, there has been action taken to form one in the near future.