This week, our #GOPCThread offers a brief synopsis of a recent webinar sponsored by the Maryland Department of Planning and Smart Growth Online called Smart Growth at 25, on the history, principles and implementation of smart growth policies.

Not on Twitter, the thread is available online, as well as below.

Greater Ohio Policy Center Read on Twitter

In July, @MdDPlanning & @smartgrowthorg Network hosted a webinar series, called Smart Growth at 25, on the history, principles, & implementation of smart growth; this #GOPCThread is dedicated to discussing the 1st webinar in that #smartgrowth series:

GOPC is looking forward to a new Handbook on Smart Growth being released in 2022, commissioned by affiliates of the National Center for Smart Growth at @UofMaryland. The webinar series shares more info #GOPCThread #smartgrowth

The webinars & new handbook come during what experts believe to be smart growth’s 25th year & a logical time to assess its impacts—answering questions like Does it work? Are we doing it? Are we making progress? Did we miss something? Where do we go from here? #GOPCThread

In the 1st webinar, panelists (@gknaap, @urbanarnab, John Landis, & @RebL19) reviewed smart growth’s history (how it evolved, governance issues, & how it has been pursued at the local, state, regional, & national levels). #GOPCThread #smartgrowth

.@gknaap explained it’s hard to answer smart growth questions looking at just national trends; it has been implemented in various ways & to different extents throughout the U.S., including Ohio, where smart growth policies are implemented mostly at the local level. #GOPCThread

.@gknaap shared some data points studied to assess smart growth’s impacts, like urbanized areas’ population densities; total land in farms; housing cost burden; new multi-family housing starts; vehicle miles traveled; mode shares to work; & smart growth in the media. #GOPCThread

.@urbanarnab explained that interest in smart growth declined among the general public. Its impact had been limited & uneven, and it lacked clear integration of current popular ideas, like sustainability & equity; the 2022 handbook shows new horizons for smart growth. #GOPCThread

John Landis from @Penn discussed where we are regarding smart growth, how we got here, & where we might be heading. Smart growth focuses on outcomes & not just tools; it introduced new big ideas, like collaborative efforts between planners, designers, & developers. #GOPCThread

Smart growth brings groups together to talk about incentives & choices that traditional regulations narrowed. It expands housing & transportation choices & it incentivizes infill. It also provides a more predictable, fair, & cost-effective process for developers. #GOPCThread

Landis said, has smart growth been successful? Maybe. Only 1 state (Maryland) has comprehensive smart growth legislation, but 19 largest US cities gained population from 2000 & 2020, & many fastest-growing counties & cities adopted smart growth principles in plans. #GOPCThread

Landis shared where smart growth can go: deal w/housing affordability impact of gentrification; create social/economic mobility opportunities; reduce CO2 emissions; improve natural ecosystems; reduce single-family zoning; undertake a national adaptive reuse initiative #GOPCThread

@RebL19 discussed smart growth & governance, describing governance as a marble cake of federal, state, regional, & local; most planning power is given to local governance. By 2021, 2 of 8 states with smart growth policies still have the remnants of those policies. #GOPCThread

.@RebL19 says, in recent years, there has been a shift toward sustainability (e.g., the short-lived, Partnership for Sustainable Communities), but various events have caused these policies to be rolled back. #GOPCThread

.@RebL19 described new paradigms that include more focus on climate change & more attention to regulations related to housing & zoning. Oregon was the first to get rid of single-family only zoning in cities of specific sizes. #GOPCThread

At GOPC, our mission is to improve the communities of Ohio through smart growth strategies & research. To learn best practices for urban revitalization & sustainable growth & more on smart growth in Ohio, visit: www.greaterohio.org & stay tuned for more threads. #GOPCThread

Cover image courtesy of Plan El Paso