Smart growth is an approach to community design that connects housing, transportation, and land use to create healthy, prosperous, and resilient neighborhoods.
Smart Growth America cultivates vibrant, sustainable communities with diverse living and transportation options, enhancing quality of life for all.
Smart Growth America cultivates vibrant, sustainable communities with diverse living and transportation options, enhancing quality of life for all.
Smart Growth America cultivates vibrant, sustainable communities with diverse living and transportation options, enhancing quality of life for all.
Throughout the year, we host a number of in-person and virtual events covering topics related to public health, social equity, and climate resilience.
By Admin, July 23, 2010
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New York State Senate Chamber Originally uploaded by bill85704 |
In a time when state public infrastructure funds are already stretched thin, can we afford to exacerbate the problem by making infrastructure decisions that support sprawl, requiring expensive extension of roads and utilities?
According to the New York state legislature the answer is no. Last month the state passed the Smart Growth Public Infrastructure Policy Act, which seeks to align state infrastructure investments with smart growth principles for a more efficient and sustainable use of funds.
The bill, which amends the state’s Environmental Conservation Law, requires state agencies to comply “to the extent practical” with specified smart growth criteria as they prioritize infrastructure projects, including:
The bill specifies that all government agencies designated as “State Infrastructure Agencies” (those that do the bulk of infrastructure planning and spending, including transportation agencies and development agencies) establish a smart growth advisory committee to evaluate agency projects based on the criteria. The committees must include environmental and community stakeholders.
According to Peter Fleischer, Executive Director of Empire State Future, “It’s a significant advance for Smart Growth principles, fiscal rectitude, and better land use practices in New York.” Empire State Future and their coalition played a crucial role in the passage of the legislation.
Senator Suzi Oppenheimer of Westchester and Assemblyman Sam Hoyt of Buffalo sponsored the bill. You can view the legislation here.
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