New Urbanism and Smart Growth Movements

Increasing recognition of the negative impact of low-density urban developments on the quality of physical, economic, and social environments generated a range of approaches to growth management to control sprawl. Effective growth management strategies vary across cities depending on development history, geography, and demographic and economic context, yet a review of practice shows widespread application of a small number of common paradigms. This article explores the development of the New Urbanism and Smart Growth movements and their influence over institutional approaches to managing urban growth in recent decades. It reviews the principles of the theories, discusses the ways in which they have been established in policy and practice, and considers the challenges to their implementation in North America.