Resource

Smart Growth America has documented the safety benefits of Complete Streets for more than two decades, but their economic potential is often overlooked. Our new report, Complete Streets, Stronger Economies, provides the first national analysis of these investments and examines their benefits for local businesses and community economic outcomes.

Through a landscape analysis of existing research and data, the report finds that communities investing in safer transportation systems see a wide range of economic benefits. These benefits include revitalized downtown areas, increases in sales, business growth, job creation, tax revenue, and property values, as well as cost savings from fewer traffic crashes and reduced physical inactivity. Additionally, the report’s findings make clear that adopting and scaling Complete Streets projects can help communities respond to challenging social, cultural, and economic conditions.

The report also spotlights six places that illustrate these benefits:

• Baton Rouge, Louisiana
• Lexington, Kentucky
• Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
• Oxford, Mississippi
• West Jefferson, North Carolina
• Xenia, Ohio

Each case study includes interviews with local government employees, business owners, and other community members to provide on-the-ground insights and identify the strategies used to achieve success. Communities facing similar challenges or pursuing similar goals can use these examples as models, drawing on the strategies and findings detailed in the report's analysis and case studies.

Read the report