Somerset County Planning Division

"CREATING QUALITY COMMUNITIES TOGETHER"

Robert P. Bzik, AICP/PP
Director of Planning
Anthony V. McCracken, Sr., AICP/PP
 Assistant Director

20 Grove Street
P.O. Box 3000
Somerville, NJ 08876

WHAT IS SMART GROWTH?

An important role for the County Planning Board is serving as a “Smart Growth Advocate” which means promoting well-planned and well- managed growth that enhances communities in the County without requiring higher taxes, compounding traffic congestion problems, consuming valuable open space and farmland or damaging our natural environment. New Jersey Future points out that Smart Growth is about “where” and “how” places grow.

“Where” is about encouraging development that can take advantage of public investments already made, such as public water and sewer systems, highway improvements and transit availability and critical services within walking distance of most users, while at the same time not creating adverse impacts to our environment.

“How” is looking at the capacity of the infrastructure both man-made and natural systems to accommodate development and making sure new development is respectful of community character and adding new homes, offices or businesses in the community also expands choices.

From a national perspective, the Smart Growth Network has defined “Smart Growth” through a series of ten (10) principles including:

1. Mix Land Uses. Smart growth supports the integration of mixed land uses into communities as a critical component of achieving better places to live.

2. Take Advantage of Compact Design. Smart growth provides a means for communities to incorporate more compact design as an alternative to conventional, sprawling and land consumptive suburban development.

3.Create a Range of Housing Choices. Providing quality housing for people of all income levels is another integral strategy of smart growth

4. Create Walkable Neighborhoods. Walkable communities are desirable places to live, work, learn, worship and play and, thereof is an important component of smart growth.

5. Foster Distinctive, Attractive Communities With a Strong Sense of Place. Smart growth encourages communities to craft a vision and set standards for new development, which respects community values, architectural distinctiveness and character as well expands choices in housing and transportation.

6. Preserve Open Space,Farmland,Natural Beauty and Critical Resources. Land preservation supports smart growth by bolstering local economies, preserving critical environmental areas, improving our quality of life and guiding new growth into existing communities.

7. Strengthen ad Direct Development Toward Existing Communities. Smart growth directs development toward existing communities already served with infrastructure and utilizes those resources already in place within neighborhoods while conserving open space and irreplaceable natural resources.

8. Provide a Variety of Transportation Options. Providing people with more choices of transportation and using multiple connections to enhance mobility and circulation are key goals of smart growth.

9. Make Development Decisions Predictable,Fair and Cost Effective. For a community to be successful in implementing smart growth, it must be embraced by the private sector and communities should make it easy to do the right thing.

10.Encourage Community and Stakeholder Involvement. Communities can embrace growth if residents and businesses create a shared vision for the future… and stick to it over time.

More information on smart growth can be found at the Sustainable Communities Network (SCN) www.sustainable.org