"SMART" Growth meets small town America

The Virginian ^ | 7/3/2009 | Moneyrunner

[moneyrunner]

This whole cap and trade thing reminds me of a discussion I took part in as part of our city’s Master Plan Rewrite Committee.

As part of the Master Plan Rewrite we filled out an SGRAT survey (Smart Growth Readiness Assessment Tool, a product of Michigan State University). It allows you to evaluate your city by SMART growth standards. The intent of SMART growth is to stress the reuse of property and so inhibit urban sprawl. If I am not boring you yet, here are the ten tenets of SMART growth.

1. Create a range of housing opportunities and choices—( I told them that affordable housing is impossible to achieve and maintain, but foreclosures are natures way of creating affordable housing, needless to say that didn’t go over well. The city tax base can’t afford foreclosures for one thing. )

2. Create walkable neighborhoods

3. Encourage community and stakeholder collaboration

4. Foster distinctive, attractive places with a strong sense of place--- (I hate trite phrases like “a strong sense of place”. Its like “branding”. )

5. Make development decisions predictable, fair, and cost effective (Not if cap and trade and LEED certification becomes the standard)

6. Mix land uses

7. Preserve open space, farmland, natural beauty and critical environmental areas

8. Strengthen and direct development toward existing communities

9. Provide a variety of transportation choices

10. Take advantage of compact building design

Some of these things are admirable, but I told the committee that I am suspicious of anything that calls itself SMART because only the brave or the foolish would be against something that is called SMART since the opposite would necessarily be STUPID. SMART growth is all about social engineering and I do not agree with taking away people’s freedom by more regulations.