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Smart * Growth
ACH  I EVEN  ENT
   Small communities, like
   the one featured on the
   cover, use walkable main
   streets to encourage
   economic development.
    Congratulations to the winners of EPA's National Award for
    Smart Growth Achievement! EPA is proud to recognize these
exceptional communities that are creating healthy, attractive, and
enduring places to live, work, and play.

Innovative efforts across the country are preserving critical areas,
protecting historic buildings, and providing better transportation
choices that protect the environment.  More and more cities are
using creative strategies to enhance neighborhoods and re-use
existing infrastructure.

This year, EPA is especially pleased to celebrate the extraordinary
efforts of small communities. Small towns are taking advantage of
their assets—such as historic buildings,  walkable downtowns, lakes,
and other natural features—to revitalize their economies. Small
communities are preserving the unique character that makes
them special and strengthens their neighborhoods, while also
accommodating development that is environmentally sound.

This year's winners are excellent models  of smart growth achievement.
I salute these winners for their outstanding achievements and chal-
lenge others to follow their example in protecting the environment
and improving the quality of life of our great nation.

                                           Michael O. Leavitt
                                            EPA Administrator

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    Communities all over the United States are using the
    principles of smart growth to protect and enhance
their natural environment while their economies prosper.
They are reusing previously developed land; providing
more housing and transportation choices; preserving
critical natural areas; and developing vibrant places to
live, work, shop, and play. These techniques can protect
our air, water, and land and enhance quality of life,1-2 as
the following examples demonstrate:

 • A new development in Florida transformed a former
    shopping mall and parking lots into 272 apartments
    and townhouses, 270,000 square feet of office space,
    and 245,000 square feet of retail space.3 The new
    development decreased the amount of paved surface
    by approximately 15 percent by adding a central
    plaza, flower and tree planters, and  a large  public
    amphitheater. Reducing paved surfaces at the site
    also reduces the amount of polluted runoff.

 • Research comparing three in-town neighborhoods
    in a Pacific Northwest city against the rest of the
    region showed strong links between compact,
    mixed-use development and travel choices. With
    more transportation options, residents of the compact
    neighborhoods traveled 28 percent fewer miles by
    car than residents of adjacent neighborhoods, and
    35 percent fewer miles than residents of outlying areas.4
    Shorter and fewer car trips can lead  to fewer auto
    emissions, cleaner air, and less time spent in traffic.

 • New Jersey encourages development in places with
    existing infrastructure, which strengthens communities
    and preserves rural cultures and economies. By doing
Buffer areas that help protect water quality around lakes, rivers, and
streams can also serve as a community amenity.

    so, the state will save 68,000 acres of agricultural land
    and 45,000 acres of environmentally sensitive land
    from development.5

For more information about the environmental benefits of
smart growth, please see: www.epa.gov/smartgrowth.htm.
1 U.S. EPA. 2003. EPA's Draft Report on the Environment Technical Document. EPA
600-R-03-050.

2 U.S. EPA. 2001. Our Built and Natural Environments. EPA 231-R-01-002.

3 Cooper Carry (Architects). 2004. Projects: Mizner Park. Accessed October 14,
2004 from www.coopercarry.com/4/4elc.html.

4 McCormack, Edward, G. Scott Rutherford, and Martina Wilkinson. 2001.
"Travel Impacts of Mixed Land Use Neighborhoods in Seattle, Washington,"
Transportation Research Record; Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No.
1780, pp 24-32.

5 Burchell, Robert W. 2000. The Costs and Benefits of Alternative Growth Patterns:
The Impact Assessment of the New Jersey State Plan. New Brunswick, NJ:  Rutgers
University, Center for Urban Policy Research.

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                             Filll
    Winners

OVERALL EXCELLENCE IN SMART GROWTH
          Town of Davidson
   Town of Davidson Planning Department
         Davidson, North Carolina

          BUILT PROJECTS
        Southside Neighborhood
     City of Greensboro, Department of
   Housing and Community Development
         Greensboro, North Carolina

     POLICIES AND REGULATIONS
    Accessory Dwelling Unit Program
     City of Santa Cruz, Department of
   Housing and Community Development
          Santa Cruz, California

COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND EDUCATION
     Sacramento Region Blueprint:
     Transportation/Land Use Study
   Sacramento Area Council of Governments
       Sacramento Region, California

        SMALL COMMUNITIES
      San Juan Pueblo Master Plan
   San Juan Pueblo Office of the Governor
        San Juan Pueblo, New Mexico
OWTH ACHIEVEMENT


         "*,    1*

                                                                        ?1«
                           IT.
                              '
          Common in many of our smaller communities
          are compact, historic streets where residents
          can stroll, shop, or dine.

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  In 2002, EPA created the National Award for Smart Growth
  Achievement to recognize exceptional approaches to
development that benefit the economy, public health,
and the environment. The 2004 call for entries resulted
in 98 applications from 32 states and the District of
Columbia. Now in its third year, the National Award for
Smart Growth Achievement has recognized an impressive
array of projects,  policies, and programs that promote
healthy, vibrant communities. Each award recipient has
used the principles of smart growth to create places  that
respect community culture and the environment, foster
economic development, and enhance quality of life.

This year, a new category was added to highlight the  suc-
cess of small communities. With populations of less than
20,000 people, small communities provide the framework
  2003 Award winner Minneapolis-
  St. Paul Metropolitan Council
  transformed Excelsior Boulevard
  (before, right) into a vibrant, mixed-
  use corridor (after, below), adding
  almost 350 housing units and
  160,000 sq. ft. of retail space.
  for the country's rural fabric and are important areas of
  activity in many metropolitan areas. Across the country,
  these towns are using innovative practices to market their
  historic and cultural assets. They are attracting support and
  financing for both redevelopment and new development.
  Our winners show that small communities can grow in
  ways that preserve the character that makes them special.

  The award recipients were chosen through a multi-step
  process.  A panel of external experts representing a broad
  range of constituencies with interest and expertise in the
  built environment and the principles of smart growth
  provided advice on the entries. An internal EPA review
  panel then provided additional comments. EPA's Associate
  Administrator for Policy, Economics, and Innovation
  made the final award selections.
The principles of smart growth include:
 1. Mix land uses.
 2. Take advantage of
   compact building
   design.
 3. Create housing opportu-
   nities and choices for
   a range of household
   types, family sizes,
   and incomes.
 4. Create walkable neigh-
   borhoods.
 5. Foster distinctive, attrac-
   tive communities with a
   strong sense of place.
 6. Preserve open space, farm-
   land, natural beauty, and
   critical environmental areas.
 7. Reinvest in and strengthen
   existing communities, and
   achieve more balanced
   regional development.
 8. Provide a variety of trans-
   portation choices.
 9. Make development deci-
   sions predictable, fair, and
   cost-effective.
10. Encourage citizen and
   stakeholder participation
   in development decisions.

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Town of Davidson
Town of Davidson Planning Department
Davidson, North Carolina
A small community, Davidson is setting the
standard for creating healthy and vibrant
neighborhoods in a historic setting. The town
is revitalizing its existing buildings, and its new
neighborhoods incorporate a variety of lot sizes
and housing types, including affordable housing,
and neighborhood parks within a five-minute walk.
    To the residents of Davidson, North Carolina, located
    just 20 miles from Charlotte, the essence of their
small town is great neighbors and great neighborhoods.
The town's high quality of life is attracting development.
To preserve and enhance Davidson's character, the town
adopted the Davidson Land Plan in 1995 and an innova-
tive Planning Ordinance in 2001.

The ordinance seeks significant public involvement, a
critical component for  any community that wants to
plan where and how it will grow. For example, the
Planning Ordinance provides charrettes for every new
development project. These charrettes allow the developer
and the community to understand each other's goals. One
developer says, "the  [charrette]...forced me to come up
with a new plan that was better than the original."

The town requires pedestrian, bicycle, and street circulation
plans for  all new development. Streets are designed to dis-
courage cars from speeding, making it easier for Davidson's
7,800 residents to walk  and bicycle around the town. To
further encourage walking, the town requires narrow, tree-
lined streets with on-street parking and sidewalks on both
sides of the street.

Recognizing that housing prices can sometimes increase
when a community creates great places to live, the town
requires that 12.5 percent of all new housing be afford-
able to families making less than the county's median
family income.

Davidson's plan and ordinance have allowed the town to
build on its strengths while accommodating new growth.
For example, the old Davidson Cotton Mill complex
has been revitalized and transformed into offices,
condominiums, and a restaurant. The plan and ordi-
nance also clearly articulate the town's vision for its
growth. This, in turn, makes developers active partners
in implementing the community's vision of connected,
walkable neighborhoods that maintain  Davidson's
legacy as a traditional small town.

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Davidson is the first municipality in the nation
   to incorporate affordable housing into its
     Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance.
When a national drug store chain built a
new store on Main Street, the developer was
required to have two stories to take advantage
of the prime location. Although the new store
is only two blocks from its previous location in
a conventional strip center, weekly revenues
have nearly doubled.
                                         The Planning Ordinance
                                        ms to maintain Davidson's
                                         identity as a small town.
"Davidson encourages responsible development.
 Growth is welcomed, yet it must add to the town's
 already charming character."
                                                Craig Lewis
                                       Davidson resident and
                                             Principal of the
                                            Lawrence Group
     n of Davidsor
      704-892-759
                                     These three-unit bungalows
                                     demonstrate that affordable
                                     housing can be attractive.

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Southside  Neighborhood
City of Greensboro, Department of
Housing and Community Development
Greensboro, North Carolina
The redevelopment of the Southside
neighborhood, just one-and-a-half blocks
from Greensboro's historic main street,
transformed a blighted area into a thriving,
attractive district. The community capitalized
on a rich stock of historic buildings and public
spaces to restore this downtown neighborhood.
    The Southside neighborhood, a 10-acre revitalization
    project, is one of Greensboro, North Carolina's
first significant mixed-use, infill projects. The city's
Department of Housing and Community Development
developed a Traditional Neighborhood District Ordinance
to assist Southside's redevelopment.

A five- to ten-minute walk from the central business dis-
trict, the development includes 30 single-family homes,
10 two-family homes, 50 townhouses, 10 restored
historic homes, and 20 live/work units where business
owners live upstairs from their shop or office. Some resi-
dences  include studio apartments above rear-detached
garages, providing another housing choice.

Southside incorporates a square as the civic center of the
neighborhood and features a rotating schedule of public art.
The neighborhood common, used as a community park,
retains  a canopy of mature trees. Greensboro contributed
to the revitalization effort by installing new sidewalks, his-
toric streetlights, decorative brickwork, and landscaping.

The neighborhood is a market success. Not only did all
the rehabilitated and new homes sell out, but the neigh-
borhood generates significantly more tax revenue for the
city. Before redevelopment in 1995, Southside produced
$400,000 in tax revenues. When the redevelopment is
complete, the total tax revenue generated from the
neighborhood will be over $10 million.

A new resident captures one reason for the redevelopment's
success: "Southside was the type of neighborhood we had
been searching for—it provides us with the sense of com-
munity we crave within walking distance of all the services
and amenities downtown has to offer. When we built our
house two years ago we felt like urban pioneers, but now,
with the neighborhood nearly complete, we know we made
the right choice."

Success is not limited to the Southside neighborhood;
redevelopment initiatives, including housing and
mixed-use projects,  are expanding into adjacent
neighborhoods and  downtown. For example, the city
received a Brownfields Economic Development Initiative
grant from the Department of Housing and Urban
Development to redevelop  an area near Southside. These
successes contribute to Greensboro's downtown revival.

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•••^••^^•^^^••jRinm ,Ti IBfflffllw.f^^
             Live/work units are new to
              Greensboro and enhance
              the existing businesses in
                 the neighborhood.
                                               The Southside neighborhood is
                                                inspiring infill development,
                                               live/work units, and mixed-use
                                                  projects in other parts
                                                      of downtown.
                                            p

 seamlessly with the older surrounding houses.


" Southside benefited from a
 general downtown renaissance,
 but also helped to give momentum
 to that turnaround."
                    Andy Scott
                      Director
          Department of Housing and
            Community Development

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Accessory Dwelling  Unit Program
City of Santa Cruz, Department of
Housing and Community Development
Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz is increasing and diversifying
housing choices by making  accessory units
easier to build. This program gives homeowners
an additional source of income and creates
more affordable housing.
   Like many communities in northern California, Santa
   Cruz has seen its housing costs increase dramatically.
These rising costs mean the city is struggling to retain
teachers, police officers, and service workers. To address
these challenges, Santa Cruz created an Accessory Dwelling
Unit (ADU) Development Program. Accessory units create
separate residences by converting all or part of a garage or
by building new structures on a homeowner's property.

The city's program aims to create more housing opportuni-
ties by making it easier for homeowners to build accessory
units. For example, the city revised its zoning ordinance to
eliminate a covered parking requirement for single-family
homes, which freed up space for accessory units. In addi-
tion, the revision included design elements that ensure
the accessory units complement the surrounding homes.
Seven architects designed compact building prototypes
(500 square feet) that address a variety of site needs.
These plans have been pre-reviewed by city departments,
which helps homeowners by reducing processing time,
planning fees, and design costs.
The city also released an ADU "How To" manual to help
residents navigate the development process. The manual
packages all the information homeowners need to develop
an accessory unit, including guidance on making an acces-
sory unit "neighbor-friendly," managing a construction
project,  and being a good landlord. Over 175 manuals
and prototype plan sets have been sold. To encourage
affordable housing, homeowners get financial assistance
through accessory unit loan and fee waiver programs if
the unit will be rented at an affordable level.

The program has broadened the range of available hous-
ing opportunities. In 2003, the program's first full year,
35 accessory units were built, which is a significant
increase  over the eight units built in 2001. Over the next
five years, the city estimates that between 40 and 50
new accessory units will be built per year. The program
has been so successful that more than 80 cities through-
out California have requested copies of the ADU manual
and ordinance.

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    This successful program promotes
   walking and transit use, as 95 percent
      of Santa Cruz's neighborhoods
         are a 10-minute walk to
          public transportation.
                                                   essory units are ideal for students and seniors.
Storage spaces become homes thanks to
the ADU program.
"...as my parents reached retirement age and found that
 they could no longer climb the stairs to the second story
 bedroom, they began looking for alternative ways of
 staying in the neighborhood....With the help of the
 city's revised accessory dwelling unit ordinance, the
 design workshops, and the ADU loan  program, we are
 now building the 'granny unit' of my  parents' dreams."

                                            David A. Foster
                                              Homeowner
                                               Santa Cruz
                                                                            Santa Cruz residents
                                                                            demonstrate the spa-
                                                                            ciousness of their
                                                                            newly completed
                                                                            accessory unit.

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Sacramento Region  Blueprint:
Transportation/Land Use Study
Sacramento Area Council of Governments
Sacramento Region, California
The Blueprint Project brought together more
than 5,000 citizens to help create and refine
regional planning scenarios. The extensive
public outreach was successful due in part to
the collaboration of 30 agencies and private
businesses. In 2003, the Blueprint Project was
honored with the Governor's Environmental
and Economic Leadership Award.
     More than 5,000 community members, elected
     officials, and business leaders shaped the future
of the Sacramento region through a series of workshops,
regional conferences, web-based dialogue, and surveys.
The Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG)
initiated this two-year process—the Sacramento Region
Blueprint: Transportation/Land Use Study—to examine
current land use and future growth patterns and to plan
where and how the  region should grow.

SACOG partnered with Valley Vision, a nonprofit organi-
zation, to develop a broad community outreach strategy
that would stimulate an inclusive discussion about the
region's growth. During 38 neighborhood workshops
held in each jurisdiction of the region, citizens worked
from a "base case" scenario, which represented future
growth if current trends continued, and used maps and
stickers to try out various land use changes in their
communities. More than 1,500 people took part in
these neighborhood workshops.

The Blueprint Project used state-of-the-art modeling
tools to estimate the effects of land use patterns on
transportation, air quality, and the economy. For example,
participants used interactive software that immediately
demonstrated the effects of their land use choices on
neighborhoods, cities, counties, and the region. SACOG
also launched a public education program to highlight
the ways in which smart growth techniques could create
more housing and transportation choices, preserve natural
areas, and enhance existing communities.

The Blueprint Project staff held more than 220 special
presentations to engage groups that are generally under-
represented in the transportation planning process.
Translators helped conduct exercises and interpret the
event for Spanish-speaking participants, and the staff dis-
tributed 50,000 multi-lingual flyers. Outreach partners
included La Familia, Asian Resources, Gray Panthers,
Resources for Independent Living, and local media outlets.

Results from the neighborhood workshops were compiled
for a regional workshop in April 2004, where more than
1,300 participants voted on four future growth alterna-
tives that showed different environmental and economic
outcomes. The Blueprint Project changed how the
Sacramento region approaches growth—it educated and
engaged the public and gave them the tools to help them
design the future they wanted.

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)lic Information Coordinator
:ramento Area Council of
overnments
: 916-340-6237
                                           The Blueprint Project compared four scenarios that projected
                                           identical increases in population, jobs, and housing for 2050.
                                           Workshop participants evaluated each scenario using ten economic,
                                           environmental, and transportation indicators, then compared per-
                                           formance on each measure, as the example below shows. Finally,
                                           participants voted for the
                                           scenario that best matched
                                           their vision for the region.
                                           The selected scenario was
                                           based on Scenario C (left),
                                           which received more than
                                           half the votes. It emphasized
                                           re-investment in existing
                                           towns and featured a broad
                                           range of housing types and
                                           transportation choices.
  ADDITIONAL URBANIZED LAND
  Through 2050
  (in square miles)

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                              A    B   C    D
                                                     'The Blueprint Project increased public
                                                      awareness of the connection between land
                                                      use and transportation and the value of
                                                      focusing growth in existing neighborhoods."
                                                V
                                      K
            Amanda Schramm
              Project Director
        Environmental Council
               of Sacramento
^i^Fi?
        Small group exercises
        at a regional workshop
        gave participants a
        more active role.

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San Juan Pueblo Master Plan
San Juan Pueblo Office of the Governor
San Juan Pueblo, New Mexico
The San Juan Pueblo found a way to honor their
heritage and provide housing for their people.
The tribe implemented a new urbanist Master
Land Use Plan—the first of its kind for a Native
American community. In 2003, a  40-unit, mixed-
income, rental housing project was completed,
exhibiting a culturally appropriate, affordable
design.
    The San Juan Pueblo, just north of Santa Fe,
    New Mexico, has been inhabited for over 700 years.
In 2000, San Juan Pueblo tribal members initiated a
community planning process to articulate and imple-
ment a long-term vision for the pueblo. At community
design meetings, the elders recalled, "There was always
an eye on you as a child and everyone felt they could
count on their neighbor."

The resulting pueblo-wide Master Land Use Plan, approved
in 2001, builds off these sentiments. The plan is the first
smart growth model for Native American tribes. It pro-
vides a long-term growth strategy,  coordinates existing
infrastructure with housing and commercial development,
preserves the walkable historic plazas, and encourages
retail and commercial uses in a  "main street" style. The
plan also includes design guidelines  that enhance the
traditional building pattern to preserve the architec-
tural heritage of the pueblo, fostering a distinctive
sense of place.
The Tribal Planning Department, created in 2002, guides,
manages, and implements the plan and improves inter-
departmental coordination of infrastructure, economic
development, and housing. A Community Advisory
Council of neighborhood representatives advises the
Planning Department's director, who encourages
residents to participate in growth and development
decisions within the San Juan Pueblo.

The first project implemented under the Master Land Use
Plan is Tsigo Bugeh Village, which was completed in 2003.
The 40-unit  development mixes market-rate and
affordable rental housing and includes a community
center with a large kitchen, computer and exercise
rooms, and laundry facilities. The project is a model of
culturally appropriate, affordable design that will help
the San Juan Pueblo community sustain itself for future
generations. The San Juan Pueblo is an example for
Native American communities everywhere; the Planning
Department is sharing the lessons it learned with other
tribes across the country.

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"It's traditional living
 with a modern touch."

                Tomasita Duran
              Executive Director
Ohkay Owingeh Housing Authority
T
                                         The design for Tsigo Bugeh Village is inspired by traditional pueblos. The
                                         buildings are clustered around two plazas, which include cultural amenities
                                         such as "hornos," or traditional ovens (below).
                                •oRsgsf;],
                                                             The San Juan Pueblo Master Plan
                                                           preserves the pueblo's history through
                                                            zoning and design guidelines, while
                                                           revitalizing the community with mixed
                                                          land uses and a new commercial district.

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             Arlington County, Virginia
                  2002 Award Winner
Arlington County continues to bring smart growth develop-
ment into the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor. In 2003, 1,117 hous-
ing units, 110,000 sq. ft. of retail space, and 330,000 sq. ft. of
office space were completed. In addition, construction began
on another  1,116 housing units, 110,000 sq. ft. of retail space,
1.8 million  sq. ft. of office space, and 326 hotel rooms.

              Massachusetts Executive
           Office  of Environmental Affairs
                  2002 Award Winner
The EOEA is expanding its UrbanRiver pilot project in 2005.
The UrbanRiver project aims to revitalize core downtown areas
of communities by  using rivers as a focus for redevelopment
efforts. For  example, one project redeveloped former mill
buildings into a vibrant commercial, service, and residential
center containing 75 businesses and 32 new housing units.
             City/County Association of
  Governments of San Mateo County, California
                  2002 Award Winner
San Mateo County's Transit Oriented Development Housing
Incentive Program gives local jurisdictions $2,000 for each
new bedroom created near transit stations. In 2004, ten proj-
ects in six cities received a total of $2.9 million to create
2,400 bedrooms in nearly 1,400 housing units, at an average
density of over 60 units per acre. A third grant cycle is
planned for early 2005.

         Town of Breckenridge, Colorado,
               Planning Department
                  2002 Award Winner
The Wellington neighborhood continues to provide well-
designed, affordable, middle-income homes to over 200
people. With half the 80-acre project complete, the
town of Breckenridge may soon approve another
phase for 160 more homes.
                                         Residents celebrate
                                         the grand opening
                                         of the Nicollet
                                         Commons Park in
                                         Burnsville, Minnesota,
                                         recipient of a Livable
                                         Communities Grant.
                                         Multi-story, mixed-
                                         use buildings, includ-
                                         ing over 700 housing
                                         units, replaced vacant
                                         and underused struc-
                                         tures on a 40-acre site.
           Metropolitan Council, Minnesota
                    2003 Award Winner
     Between June 2003 and July 2004, the Minneapolis-
     St. Paul Metropolitan Council awarded 52 grants under
     its Livable Communities Grants programs. The awards,
     totaling $16.9 million, will result in an anticipated
     7,300 new and rehabilitated housing units,  6,480 new
     or retained jobs, and 267 acres of reclaimed polluted
     land, and will leverage an additional $1 billion in pri-
     vate and other public investments.

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              Department of the Navy
                  2003 Award Winner
The Navy has used smart growth principles to redevelop 144
acres into The Village at Serra Mesa, in San Diego, California.
The Village replaces 812 aging military houses with 900 new
affordable housing units, a community center, recreational
space, a new daycare facility, and a Navy Exchange as a
corner grocery store.

         Georgia Office of Quality Growth
                  2003 Award Winner
The Georgia Quality Growth program has enhanced its
outreach by providing new tools, such as a quality growth
audit and a visual preference survey. The survey—a series
of photographs depicting various design elements such
as housing placement, store fronts, and pedestrian
areas—helps communities envision and select from
competing development options.
 City of Raleigh and Wake County, North Carolina,
                Public School System
                  2003 Award Winner
The city of Raleigh has continued to coordinate with the
Wake County Public School System to purchase 20 acres of
land for a  shared elementary school, community center, and
park facility in the Brier Creek Village. The school and com-
munity center will provide a civic element in the Brier Creek
Village. The facilities were designed to encourage walking
between them and other neighborhood amenities. The
school is scheduled to open in August 2006.
            For more information on each of
             the past winners, please go to:
     www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/awards.htm
    Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Treasurer's Office
                  2003 Award Winner
In 2004, the Treasurer's Office has made more than 430 new
housing enhancement loans exceeding $4.8 million. These
loans are designed to increase housing and preserve historic
homes. In addition, the Treasurer's Office has worked with
Hamilton, Lorain, Medina, and Summit Counties in Ohio
to assist them in designing loan programs based on the
Cuyahoga County model.
This historic house
is one of over
100 in Cuyahoga
County restored
using the Heritage
Home Program.

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• According to Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2004, infill
  redevelopment is a high priority investment strategy for
  developers,1

• Since 1980, every dollar a community has spent on revital-
  izing its Main Street and downtown business districts has
  leveraged over $40 of additional investment.2

• Thirty-seven of the nation's 40 largest metropolitan areas
  are currently constructing new rail lines, rail extensions,
  and busways.3


The developer of this new community was allowed
to build at higher densities in order to preserve
open space, such as this riverbank buffer area.
                                                                      Responding to consumer demand, developers are incorpo-
                                                                      rating more amenities and conveniences, such as grocery
                                                                      stores, into their mixed-use projects.
                                             .AND  OPPORTUNITIES
                                         • AARP reports that 71 percent of older households want to live within walking

                                            distance of transit.4

                                         • Bank of America has expanded its commitment to smart growth projects,

                                            dedicating $350 billion to community development over a 10-year period.5

                                         • Studies of consumer preferences suggest that over 14 million new households

                                            will want to locate within a half-mile of a transit station by 2025.6

                                         1 Urban Land Institute and PriceWaterhouseCoopers. 2004. Emerging Trends in Real Estate.
                                         2 National Main Street Center. 2002. National Reinvestment Statistics, "Reinvestment Ratio." Accessed October 8, 2004
                                         from www.mainstreet.org/About/numbers.htm.
                                         3 Center for Transit-Oriented Development. 2004. Hidden in Plain Sight: Capturing the Demand for Housing Near Transit.
                                         4 Ibid.
                                         5 National Association of Local Government Environmental Professionals and Smart Growth Leadership Institute. 2004.
                                         Smart Growth Is Smart Business.
                                         6 Center for Transit-Oriented Development, op. cit.

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REVIEW PANEL
Robert Brosnan, Arlington County, Virginia
Steve Gallagher, National Association of Industrial
  and Office Properties
Jane King, AARP
Bob McNamara, National Association of REALTORS*
Toby Millman, Abdo Development
Jim Murray, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
  Administration
Arthur C. Nelson, Virginia Polytechnic Institute
  and State University
Harrison Rue, Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission &
  Charlottesville-Albemarle Metropolitan Planning Organization
Julia Seward, Local Initiatives Support Corporation
Scot Spencer, The Annie E. Casey Foundation
Edward Tombari, National Association of Home Builders
                                         Many communities
                                         are revitalizing
                                         historic corridors,
                                         which bring back
                                         pedestrian traffic
                                         and strengthen
                                         local retail.
NATIONAL BUILDING MUSEUM
The 2004 National Award for Smart Growth Achievement
ceremony was held at the National Building Museum in
Washington, DC, on November 17. The National Building
Museum, created by an act of Congress in 1980, is America's
premier cultural institution dedicated to exploring and
celebrating architecture, design, engineering, construction,
and urban planning. Since opening its doors in 1985, the
museum has become a vital forum for exchanging ideas and
information about such topical issues  as managing suburban
growth, preserving landmarks and communities, and revital-
izing urban centers. Its engaging exhibitions and education
programs, including innovative curricula for school children
and stimulating programs for adults, annually attract nearly
400,000 people, making the museum the most-visited insti-
tution of  its kind in the world.
PHOTO CREDITS
Front cover: Skaneateles, NY. Photo courtesy of Sabra Richards.
Environmental Protection and Smart Growth: Skaneateles, NY. Photo
courtesy of Lynn Richards.
Winners page: Englewood, NJ. Photo courtesy of National Trust for Historic
Preservation.
About the Award: Excelsior Boulevard, St. Louis Park, MN. Photo courtesy of
the Metropolitan Council.
Case study photos courtesy of award winners. Sacramento workshop photo
courtesy of Leon Fredette/Fredette Photography.
Past Winners, left: Bumsville, MN. Photo courtesy of the Metropolitan Council.
Past Winners,  right: Cleveland, OH. Photo courtesy of Sara W. Hobbs,
Cleveland Restoration Society.
Opposite,  left: Portland, OR. Photo courtesy of U.S. EPA, Development,
Community, and Environment Division.
Opposite,  right: Montgomery County, MD. Photo  courtesy of U.S. EPA,
Development,  Community, and Environment Division.
This page: Mission Street, San Francisco, CA. Photo courtesy of Liisa Ecola.
Back cover: Market Common, Arlington, VA. Photo courtesy of
Christopher V.  Forinash.

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 Smart * Growth
 ACHIEVEMENT
For more information about the
National Award for Smart Growth
Achievement and EPA's other
smart growth activities, see:
www.epa.gov/smartgrowth
                                                              «>EPA
                                                                  United States
                                                                  Environmental Protection
                                                                  Agency
   Recycled/Recyclable
Office of Policy, Economics, and Innovation (1807-T) • EPA 231-F-04-001 • November 2004
United States
Environmental Protection Agency
1807-T
Washington, DC 20460

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