It is common for people to use the term Smart Growth with little explanation of what Smart Growth is. Smart Growth is a type of zoning that attempts to reduce sprawl and to focus development in a central location. In order for development to be Smart Growth it must be built near existing public transportation centers, have mixed-use development, and be high in density. In order for Smart Growth to be effective we need the cooperation of neighboring towns.
There are many negative impacts of sprawl. Housing is built on open space that the community would like to preserve. Building on open space increases the likelihood of flooding. When you replace open land with impermeable cover (asphalt and cement) the land that once absorbed the water is no longer there.
Sprawl also leads to more traffic by placing people in places where they are forced to drive in order to get anywhere. This increased dependence on vehicles leads to road congestion and increased production of greenhouse gasses. By building in an area that is far away from the city center people are less likely to walk. They will drive their cars. This leads to a less active and less healthy community. We need to end sprawl in Waltham.
Smart Growth encourages development around existing public transportation centers. This takes cars off the road in the morning. People can take the train or bus to work. It also removes cars from the road because the people that live near the train and bus stations do not have to drive to the train station or bus stop in the morning. They just have to step out their front door.
Mixed use development is another key component of Smart Growth. Mixed use development in city centers blends commercial and residential areas. When people come home they do not have to drive to a local restaurant or to the local convenience store, instead walking since they are located in their neighborhood.
Since we are building in the center of town where there is not much space, any Smart Growth project would have to be high density. High density housing reduces sprawl and the overdevelopment of green space. It also alleviates the pressure of overdevelopment in areas of the city that do not have the infrastructure to handle increased development.
In order for a Smart Growth plan to be successful a city needs the cooperation of its neighbors. Sprawl is not just a local problem, but a regional one. The negative impacts of sprawl are felt across city and town borders. If a city decides to focus its development in the center of town and the neighboring community puts large development on its borders, little progress can be made. A successful Smart Growth plan engages neighboring cities and towns and gets them to work together to solve the problem of sprawl.
If done in the right way Smart Growth could be a comfortable middle ground for people that are for and against development. I don't think we can stop Waltham's growth. Let's make sure that if we are going to continue to grow that we grow in a responsible way.
Joe Vizard is a master's student in Public Affairs at the John W. McCormick School of the University of Massachusetts. He is a resident of Waltham.
