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.
About us
Smart Growth America cultivates vibrant, sustainable communities with diverse living and transportation options, enhancing quality of life for all.
Our work
Smart Growth America cultivates vibrant, sustainable communities with diverse living and transportation options, enhancing quality of life for all.
Impact
Smart Growth America cultivates vibrant, sustainable communities with diverse living and transportation options, enhancing quality of life for all.
Events
Throughout the year, we host a number of in-person and virtual events covering topics related to public health, social equity, and climate resilience.
Focus Areas
Rural smart growth
Smart growth isn’t just for cities—it’s an excellent strategy for rural communities. Small towns and rural regions face unique challenges, from aging infrastructure to limited transportation options and underinvested main streets. We help communities set a vision for their place and make decisions that strengthen local economies, support vibrant downtowns, improve access to essential services, and build more fiscally sustainable futures.
Why smart growth is the right strategy to support rural communities
Rural communities benefit from smart growth approaches that preserve local character, reduce infrastructure and service costs, and improve access to housing, jobs, and essential services. Strategies like reinvesting in historic town centers, encouraging context-appropriate zoning reform, expanding transportation options, and promoting efficient land use can help rural places grow sustainably without losing what makes them unique.
How we lead
Smart Growth America has partnered with hundreds of rural communities to support economic development, improve quality of life, and craft solutions that fit their size, context, and goals. Our support includes:
- Technical assistance and training on the fiscal impact of growth
- Supporting local elected officials to advance Complete Streets and other pressing issues
- Innovative research and advocacy to ensure rural priorities are reflected in state and federal decisions
- Guidance on securing funding for infrastructure, transportation, housing, and resilience
Our work
Report highlight: Rural mobility roadmap
A common misconception about active and multi-modal transportation investments to support walking, biking, rolling, and using public transit is that the demand for these initiatives is limited to urban communities, but recent studies have shown that people in rural areas are just as likely to walk to places as in urban areas if the options are safe and accessible. Our report, An Active Roadmap: Best Practices in Rural Mobility breaks down this myth and others as we dive into the diversity of American rural communities and small towns to discuss rural transportation needs and challenges along with success stories from rural and small town communities across the country.
Resources
Completing Rural Highways: Maintaining assets in California and North Carolina
Community Facilities Location Policy Toolkit
Fiscal Impact Analysis Policies in Rural Communities Toolkit
Subscribe to our newsletter
Livable places. Healthy people. Shared prosperity.
© 2025 Smart Growth America. All rights reserved
Site By3Lane Marketing
