This moment, like after every election cycle, is one of both challenges and opportunities. No matter what lies ahead, we’ll be there to meet the moment, embody our priorities, and live up to our values. More than that, SGA stands ready to do what we have done for more than 20 years: support communities, primarily in smaller cities and rural areas, convene our partners, and help elected and government officials implement policies that help their community members prosper and thrive.
Here are four examples of how smart growth helps create communities that are healthy, prosperous, and resilient:
1.) Smart growth supports more housing in the right places
Smart growth creates compact, well-connected communities by removing zoning barriers and ensuring that housing is built where it’s needed most—close to the places folks need to go, like jobs, schools, and transit.
2. ) Smart growth works to get you where you need to go—for less
Smart growth prioritizes safe, high-quality transportation options that connect people to jobs, schools, and essential services without relying solely on personal vehicles, supporting public health and community connection.
3.) Smart growth is for small towns and big cities alike
Smart growth isn’t just for large metro areas—it’s a holistic approach that works just as well in rural contexts. Smart growth solutions like prioritizing compact development, investing in vibrant main streets and transportation options, and building more housing near essential destinations can expand economic opportunity for every community.
4.) Smart growth helps your community’s pocketbook
Smart growth is good fiscal policy. Compact, connected development reduces sprawl, expands local tax bases, reduces the costs of government services, and creates vibrant places where people and businesses prosper, strengthening both urban centers and rural towns.