Smart Growth results in cleaner air, lower taxes, less gridlock, more green space, increased accessibility, more housing options, and preserved farmlands.
In complete communities, people can access shops and services without a car, by walking, biking or taking transit. Services are not spread out with grocery stores kilometers away from homes requiring people to drive to do their everyday tasks.
Smart Growth is better for us in many ways:
- Congestion is reduced, as fewer cars are needed to access shops, services and to get to work.
- More diverse types of housing close to transit provides better access to housing for more people. A house built far from town is only accessible by driving.
- There are more transportation options that make jobs and services more accessible for everyone.
- There is less congestion and car use, which lowers air pollution and GHG emissions.
- Research shows that smart growth can reduce GHG emissions to a third compared to sprawling development.
- After smoking, lifestyle diseases associated with physical inactivity are among the leading causes of preventable illness and death in Canada. When people live close to workplaces and services, they have the option to walk, cycle or take transit to get there, which helps stay physically active and healthy.
- A mix of housing types and transportation options allows people to stay in their homes as they age, reducing dislocation and the possibility of losing social networks, which are known to be essential for long-term well-being.
- Healthier, well-housed people with a variety of transportation options are not only happier, but often incur lower social costs.
- Focusing growth in more compact communities means that we make a smaller footprint on the land and are in a better position to preserve natural areas in and around the community.
- More compact growth means less agricultural land is used to build housing, preserving access to local food.
- A smaller urban footprint also means taxpayers and /or homebuyers save the cost of extending expensive municipal services like water and sewage pipes. Encouraging redevelopment in our existing urban areas renews old, failing infrastructure.
- A more robust planning framework means more opportunities for people to engage in the planning and development process to shape their communities.