Smart growth for strong communities : which existing smart growth features lead to highly desirable neighborhoods?

Thesis (M.P.P.)--Georgetown University, 2009.; Includes bibliographical references. Smart growth is a strategy of compact, transit oriented, environmentally focused development which is of growing importance as American cities continue to expand. For smart growth to work, it must not only be sustainable, but desirable as well. This study hypothesized that the presence of certain smart growth features, such as mixed-use development, which encourages a mix of structure types rather than separating residential and commercial development, was associated with more desirable neighborhoods. Using the American Housing Survey 2004 Metro Dataset, this study explored the relationship between the presence of these smart growth features and how residents rated their neighborhoods. Certain smart growth features - the presence of local shopping and green space - led to higher ranked neighborhoods, while other features, such as higher density development lead to lower rankings. The results of this study suggest that policy action needs to be taken to encourage higher density development and associate it with mixed-use development and green space to make it more desirable for residents.