National Incentives for Smart Growth Communities

ter. However, federal regulatory and funding policies have shaped American land use and helped to skew local development toward exurban sprawl rather than focus it on the revitalization of cities and sustainable growth in the surrounding regions. In a 1995 report, The Technological Reshaping of Metropolitan America, the congressional Office of Technology Assessment warned that urban sprawl is a national problem, fueled in part by federal policies, that is costing local communities dearly. The burgeoning economic, environmental, and social costs of sprawling development call for an enhanced federal government role in helping local communities to combat sprawl and implement strategies to encourage smart growth. Local governments (and states) have identified sprawl and its management as a critical issue for communities, and many localities have begun to develop new approaches to counter sprawl and promote smart growth. Likewise, the federal government has launched several educational, funding, and regulatory efforts designed to encourage better local growth and development practices. Together, local communities and the federal government are seeking to establish new tools for sustainable local growth. This article examines existing and potential federal incentives for smart growth and suggests how local governments can put them to use.