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May 2004 — Vol. 82, No. 4

FROM THE PRESIDENT

The smart approach to smart growth

By Kenneth O. Decko

CBIA President and CEO

 

Now that Connecticut’s population is again beginning to grow, the need to revitalize our cities, preserve open space and improve our state’s quality of life has been getting more attention. One approach to addressing these issues is referred to as “smart growth.”

But that term means different things to different people. To some, it means extensive government regulation of what can be built where — for example, restricting families’ ability to build new homes in the suburbs. To CBIA, however, smart growth means being smarter about growth. That calls for using better information, more consistent planning and an incentive-based approach — not heavy-handed restrictions and mandates — to encourage growth in some areas, rather than in others, without limiting economic opportunities and market choices.

That’s the smart-growth approach endorsed in a resolution the CBIA Board of Directors adopted in March. The board urges the General Assembly to approve the development of a geographical information system database and statewide build-out analysis capacity based on projected market conditions. These tools will give the state and municipalities access to data they can use to make informed decisions regarding growth.

The board also supports the government’s use of incentives to:

  • speed the cleanup and development of contaminated urban properties;
  • promote economic development in urban centers;
  • focus infrastructure investments along existing transportation corridors;
  • encourage greater coordination of regional and local planning to foster economic development; and
  • purchase open space.

Using these incentive-based smart-growth principles, the board believes, will encourage needed economic growth and job creation, while helping to revitalize our cities, preserve open spaces and improve Connecticut’s quality of life.

 

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