Today's Washington Post provides a good article on the problem of managing growth in the Washington, DC metro area. The article holds a valuable lesson for preserving the rural character of in any metro region undergoing sprawl. The basic message: the challenge of rural preservation should be addressed regionally.

Reducing the density of residential development in rural areas is the most common tactics local governments use to preserve open space. While this strategy works within the local jurisdiction, it simply pushes growth outward, accelereating sprawl. The Washington experience suggests that density limits should be coordinated regionally and combined with stronger incentives for in-fill development and redevelopment in urban areas.

I have been recently working in Charleston, SC, where the issue of regional growth and rural preservation is particularly sensitive. Here's the challenge in a nutshell. The region's economy is growing, and residential development is spreading into the rural areas of Berkeley and Dorchester counties. While in-fill opportunities exist closer to Charleston, there are few incentives to encourage residential development in denser patterns. Meanwhile, the pattern of land use regulation is piecemeal, so any attempt at a regional solution runs smack into the problem of implementation. How do we get there from here?

My approach will be to raise the issue to a higher level of awareness through citizen forums. Hopefully, once citizens begin to understand that development patterns don't have to be this way, we can make some changes. One major asset: there is a strong consensus within the business community that protecting environmental values really matters. (This is not speculation. We conducted an Internet interview with 339 business leaders. You can review the results here .)

To learn more about the issue of regional growth in Charleston, visit the regional growth model at Clemson. It outlines the future pattern of growth in the region. You can also visit our project web site. We are designing a regional economic development strategy that provides the basis for a sustainable economy in the Charleston region.

You can also learn more about managing growth from the State of Maryland's web site. The State Planning Department is a leader in the area of growth management.

The political leadership formula for “competitive communities” is to become a champion for open dialogue in support of quality place, brainpower and innovation. Political leaders have a choice – power politics or empowerment. Empowerment is more complicated and perceived by far to many of our political leaders as threatening. Empowerment places our politicians in a position of leading from behind. Creating an environment of effective dialogue that leads to action by citizens groups beginning at a neighborhood level and working up. Is this a new breed of leader that understands that planning is a key tool of community dialogue?

The mayor of Rochester, William A. Johnson, Jr., is an example. In a recent speech to the American Planning Association in Chicago, Competitive Communities: Linking Planning, Smart Growth & Economic Development, Mayor Johnson explains the progress his community is achieving with the engaging politics of dialogue. His stated vision is: “In Rochester, I want to turn all 220,000 residents into capable and responsible urban planners”…” I think it's fair to say that the City of Rochester, New York, shares more power with its constituents than does any other city government in the United States”... “Essentially, we are trying to introduce a civic dimension into marketplace logic. The American landscape of the past 50 years has been constructed and managed to suit the economic requirements of the corporate sector, which are often based on short-term considerations. Clearly, people have embraced this. They're not scared off by the artificiality of sprawl, even if this means that the average citizen is reduced to being a mere consumer. I want cities like Rochester to become buffers against generic and impersonal market forces. Cities like Rochester have an opportunity to redefine themselves so that consumers can function as citizens too. More and more, people are finding just such a prospect liberating, even exhilarating”… “I'm talking about the physical expression of civic will. I'm talking about what happens to the face and character of a city when average people have the skills and resources to control the destiny of their neighborhoods. And I'm talking about the economic and social opportunities that open up when planning becomes ingrained in the civic consciousness”.

Mayor Johnson’s strategy of citizens broadly understanding economic development increases the importance of planning and the value of planners. The implementation of a Neighbors Building Neighborhoods Institute (NBN) in 1994 is part of teaching Rochester citizenry the potential of their role in economic development by focusing on planning for quality places. The 10 planning sectors of Rochester are charged with developing a vision of their future and action plans to accomplish the vision. NBN is performance based and action plans are updated every 18 months. The city supports this initiative by providing the financial and technical resources. Results are proof: “We've encouraged people to plan in Rochester, and they have responded enthusiastically and responsibly. What do people want when they are allowed to draft a comprehensive plan and a zoning code? Beautiful public places ... more choice in transportation ...more choice in housing ...more accessible green space ... a vibrant downtown ... pedestrian enhancements ... and a sense of community... Design charettes have become common in our neighborhoods as citizens gain confidence in the planning process. They work on such things as neighborhood mini-plans ... the transformation of our major streets into gateways ... and a massive rebuilding of our waterfronts ... as well as attracting significant neighborhood retail investment”.

The idea of “competitive communities” is that effective dialogue about quality places; brainpower and innovation is the framework for economic development. Rochester is recognizing that a change in leadership methodology provides a meaningful way to involve citizenry in shaping the future. Mayor Johnson is an example of this new leadership. His assessment of our current circumstances summarizes this discussion: “a change…is occurring in communities large and small throughout the country… wherever we live, we now use a different model to make economic development decisions than just a few years ago. It's the idea that a successful local economy is a high-amenity economy. It's the idea that economic competitiveness is not fate — it can be created. It's the idea that the physical environment…can support smart people and business opportunities. And it's the idea that the market has limits — that successful economic development depends on progressive partnerships of governments, chambers of commerce, nonprofits, and citizens to create competitive advantage, not just for cities and counties, but for entire regions”.