Growth
can create great places to live, work and play
-- if it responds to a community’s own
sense of how and where it wants to grow. Communities
have different needs and will emphasize some
smart growth principles over others: those with
robust economic growth may need to improve housing
choices; others that have suffered from disinvest-ment
may emphasize infill development; newer communities
with separated uses may be looking for the sense
of place provided by mixed-use town centers;
and still others with poor air quality may seek
relief by offering transportation choices. The
common thread among all, however, is that the
needs of every community and the programs to
address them are best defined by the people
who live and work there.
Citizen
participation can be time-consuming, frustrating
and expensive, but encouraging community and
stakeholder collaboration can lead to creative,
speedy resolution of development issues and
greater community understanding of the importance
of good planning and investment. Smart Growth
plans and policies developed without strong
citizen involvement will at best not have staying
power; at worst, they will be used to create
unhealthy, undesirable communities. When people
feel left out of important decisions, they will
be less likely to become engaged when tough
decisions need to be made. Involving the community
early and often in the planning process vastly
improves public support for smart growth and
often leads to innovative strategies that fit
the unique needs of each community.
