Communities Invest in Smart Growth to Improve Health, Revitalize Downtowns

After just two months of operation, Washington, DC’s new bike share program, has already captured roughly 4,500 annual members. Capital Bikeshare was introduced in September 2010 and has had great success. With over 1,000 bikes available throughout the city at 100 stations, the bike share program allows riders to easily access bikes throughout the day. The first 30 minutes are free, encouraging riders to use these bikes as a means of short-distance transportation between destinations such as commuting from home to work.

Bike share programs are one type of “smart growth” strategy employed by cities across the nation to create livable communities and reduce traffic congestion and pollution. Smart growth focuses on mixed-use development that brings residential and commercial uses closer together and promotes a variety of transportation options ranging from bike or car sharing programs to citywide development of walking paths. These strategies focus on effectively connecting people with work, school, medical care and other daily essentials, and have significant health, environmental and economic benefits.

Communities nationwide are also developing interconnected walk and bike paths. These not only serve the pedestrian users but also the surrounding businesses. The development of Delaware’s Mispillion River Greenway revitalized downtown areas previously inaccessible to pedestrians and bikers. “Ten years ago downtown Milford and the Mispillion River could only be called an eyesore,” according to Milford City Manager Richard Carmean. Today the River Greenway provides recreation, shopping and dining, and is a popular place for both residents and tourists. Similarly, San Antonio, TX owes a great deal of its downtown revitalization to the mixed-use development of Pearl Brewery – a 22-acre site that was abandoned in 2001. By transforming the existing infrastructure into an urban center, San Antonio has been able to extend its Riverwalk, offer affordable housing, and create jobs as businesses vie for a spot in the trendy, new district. Even the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is moving to Pearl: "We want to be near what I think is the coolest revitalization project in Texas," said chamber President Ramiro Cavazos.

Smart growth, whether bike share programs or mixed-use developments, reduces the number of personal vehicles from traffic. Cities with quality multi-modal transportation see far fewer serious car accidents and related deaths. In fact, residents of transit-oriented communities have approximately 25 percent of the per-capita traffic fatality rate as residents of sprawl communities. Furthermore, fewer cars on the road result in less pollution and lower levels of emissions. By providing access to safe and interconnected walking and bike trails, cities encourage residents to engage in physical activity. Even mass-transit riders typically walk enough to receive the recommended amount of daily exercise as stated by the CDC.

The federal government, recognizing the multiple benefits brought by smart growth, is doing its part t support these types of developments. On October 20, 2010 the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) jointly awarded $68 million in grants to help create livable and sustainable communities. The Sustainable Community Challenge grants and the TIGER II Planning grants will be combined, expediting the grant process and making it easier for communities to apply for federal aid. The focus of these grants is to create synergy between housing, jobs and transportation.