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NORTH CAROLINA

  • The North Carolina Smart Growth Alliance has as its mission: "To bring North Carolinians together to inspire, create and promote a shared vision of growth which sustains and enriches the character of our communities, the health of our environment, and the strength of our economy."

    One of the key principles of the Smart Growth Alliance is to foster a "smart pattern of development." As the Alliance puts it:

    "Clearly define land areas that are appropriate for development, as well as environmentally sensitive, historic, natural or recreational land areas that need protection. Pursue policies and strategies that are both equitable and consistent with these identifications.

    -- Intensify development in areas appropriate for development and appropriately limit it in other areas in order to realize efficiencies from our infrastructure and service investments, and to protect valued resources.
    -- In areas identified as appropriate for development, communities should plan and act to assure that infrastructure and public facilities keep pace with development.
    -- Development in rural areas should strive to preserve their rural character.
    -- Use environmentally sound technologies that match the scale of development."

    The Alliance web site also includes their SPRAWLBYTES newsletter.

  • The North Carolina Chapter of the Sierra Club is undertaking a Challenge to Sprawl Campaign. As noted on the Chapter's web site: "North Carolinians are already experiencing the consequences of poorly planned growth:
    -- Vanishing farmland and rural landscapes
    -- Increased commute times and traffic jams
    -- Polluted streams, rivers and fisheries
    -- Increased "bad air" days, and restricted federal highway funds due to worsening air quality
    -- Stress on local governments to provide services to far-flung developments."

  • The final draft plan for Forsyth County & Winston-Salem, North Carolina, focuses on planning for a pattern of growth that reduces sprawl. See excerpts from the plan in the Solutions: Comprehensive Planning section of this Guide.

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    Do you know of a state or local program we haven't listed that fights sprawl? If so, please e-mail us the information at: editor@plannersweb.com, and we'll include it here.

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