Smart Growth Topics
How and where communities develop can have a major impact on human health and the environment. Sustainable and strategic land use planning approaches can make our communities more attractive, socially diverse, and resilient to climate change.
The pages linked below share information and resources on related development and conservation topics and strategies.
- Brownfields and Infill Development – Learn how properties can be cleaned up and redeveloped for infill development.
- Climate Change – Learn how land use planning can help communities mitigate and adapt to climate change.
- Colleges and Universities – Discussion of how colleges and universities can leverage smart growth approaches.
- Disaster Resilience and Recovery – Learn approaches that can help communities prepare for and recover from natural disasters.
- Energy Communities - Learn how EPA is engaging with communities where a significant percentage of jobs and tax revenue historically has come from the extraction, processing, transport, and energy production of fossil fuels and is supporting their transition to a more sustainable, resilient and equitable economy.
- Equitable Development – Discussion of smart growth, environmental justice, and equitable development.
- Housing – Learn how smart growth strategies can help promote the production of housing and make housing more affordable.
- Location and Green Building – Explore the connection between green building and location-efficient siting (locating a building within or near an existing community).
- Open Space Conservation – Discussion how land conservation is an important tool to promote smart growth.
- Preservation of Existing and Historic Buildings – Discussion of how preservation and reuse of historic buildings supports sustainable communities.
- School Siting – Explore how siting decisions for K-12 schools affect community growth and development.
- Small Towns and Rural Communities – Learn how rural communities can achieve their goals for growth and development while maintaining their distinctive rural character.
- Streets and Emergency Response – Learn how street design can also meet emergency response goals.
- Transportation – Explore the connections between smart growth, transportation, and air quality.
- Transportation Electrification – Learn how communities can achieve multiple benefits when aligning investments in electrifying their transportation systems with local needs and existing infrastructure.
- Water – Discussion of smart growth approaches that communities and developers can use to reduce stormwater runoff, protect water quality, and conserve water.