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What is smart growth?

Smart growth is an approach to community design that connects housing, transportation, and land use to create healthy, prosperous, and resilient neighborhoods.

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Smart Growth America cultivates vibrant, sustainable communities with diverse living and transportation options, enhancing quality of life for all.

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Smart Growth America cultivates vibrant, sustainable communities with diverse living and transportation options, enhancing quality of life for all.

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Smart Growth America cultivates vibrant, sustainable communities with diverse living and transportation options, enhancing quality of life for all.

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Throughout the year, we host a number of in-person and virtual events covering topics related to public health, social equity, and climate resilience.

All SGA@25 Celebration Equity Summit

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We offer a library of case studies, videos, and reports to support policymakers, practitioners, and advocates interested in advancing smart growth.

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Rural Road Map: Case studies

By Rachel Ellis, November 25, 2025

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An Active Roadmap: Best Practices in Rural Mobility

Why should we invest in multimodal transportation for American rural communities and small towns?

Overview Defining rural Debunking myths Needs and challenges Strategies for success Case Studies

Case Studies

Case studies

For this report, the SGA team interviewed rural communities across the country that have implemented successful strategies to improve multimodal transportation access to key destinations. This could be through transportation and/or development decisions such as improving transit access, adopting a Complete Streets policy, thoughtful community engagement methods, investing in downtown revitalization, and more.

Read more about these 9 communities and their stories.

Excelsior Springs, MO Erwin, TN Ruston, LA Montpelier, VT Oxford, MS Saco, ME Pawhuska, OK Chillicothe, OH Paris, TX

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What is smart growth?

About us

Our work

Impact

Events

Knowledge hub

News

Signature reports

An Active Roadmap: Best Practices in Rural Mobility

Case studies

Upcoming public events: Join us!

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Livable places. Healthy people. Shared prosperity.