Is your community making progress toward growing smarter? Do current policies inhibit smarter development? One way to find out is to audit your community or even better, audit your region. Smart Growth is an informed approach to managing resources and improving quality of life. The Smart Growth Network examined qualities of successful communities and as a first step in formulating goals identified 10 principals or values to define smart growth:

• Mix land uses
• Take advantage of compact building design and efficient infrastructure design
• Create a range of housing opportunities and choices
• Create walkable neighborhoods
• Foster distinctive, attractive communities with a strong sense of place
• Preserve open space, farmland, natural beauty and critical environmental areas
• Strengthen and direct development towards existing communities
• Provide a variety of transportation choices
• Make development decisions predictable, fair and cost-effective
• Encourage community and stakeholder collaboration in development decisions

Conducting a Smart Growth Audit is a process of identifying and measuring accomplishments or plans to incorporate these principals into community growth strategies. It is not a one size fits all approach and encourages uniqueness values in creatively interpreting these principals. Getting to Smart Growth – 100 policies for implementation, a publication by the Smart Growth Network and the ICMA is a good place to learn more about the principals of smart growth and what communities are doing to implement these ideals. At the conclusion of this document is a checklist of policies that can provide a starting point for communities to begin an audit process. Setting appropriate benchmarks and measuring progress provides evidence of the benefits of smart growth and a means of identifying the policies that are working against achieving these principals.

The following are some additional resources from communities that using audits as an early step in moving toward a smarter future:
 

• July 6, 2004 by the Smart Growth Leadership Team, Policy and Code Audit Report - East Baton Rouge Parish and the City of Baton Rouge  
   
• Smart Growth Audit Results – Assessment of Local Zoning Laws, Municipal Procedures, and Development Activity in the 52 Communities of Southeastern Massachusetts Her is the audit form used by each community  
   
• Community Choices - Quality Growth Toolkit: Smart Growth Audit is a publication from the Atlanta Regional Commission. References at the end of the report are linked to additional information.
   

APA has also published a book, Smart Growth Audits, by Leora Waldner and Jerry Weitz to provide guidance to communities looking for a better way grow.

 Also check out other related entries in Competitive Communities: Agenda for a Connected Future, General or Specific Area Plans?, Connecting Economic, Social and Physical Planning thru Dialogue and How will your Community Grow? The CHOICE is Yours!