This article develops a framework to evaluate the use of smart growth principles in local comprehensive plans. Using the framework, a sample of thirty local comprehensive plans was evaluated to determine how well local plan goals and policies promote smart growth principles. The plans were selected from a pool of plans that have been adopted in Wisconsin under its new comprehensive smart growth planning law. Plans are evaluated for attention to six commonly accepted smart growth principles as developed and promoted by a number of national organizations and coalitions. This content analysis reveals that communities are not fully embracing the smart growth agenda. Furthermore, there is a clear distinction between the use of smart growth principles among cities and villages versus town or rural governments. The article concludes with a discussion of the applicability of smart growth to small towns and rural communities.
American Planning Association (APA).2002. Growing smart legislative guidebook: Model statutes for planning and the management of change. Chicago: Author.
2.
Berke, P.R., and M.M. Conroy.2000. Are we planning for sustainable development? An evaluation of thirty comprehensive plans. Journal of the American Planning Association66 (1): 21—33.
3.
Berke, P.R., and S.P. French.1994. The influence of state planning mandates on local plan quality. Journal of Planning Education and Research13 (4): 237—50.
4.
Berke, P.R., D. Roenigk, E.J. Kaiser, and R.J. Burby.1996. Enhancing plan quality: Evaluating the role of state planning mandates for natural hazard mitigation. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management39 (1): 79—96.
5.
Brody, S.2003. Are we learning to make better plans? A longitudinal analysis of plan quality associated with natural hazards. Journal of Planning Education and Research23: 191—201.
6.
Burby, R.J., and L.C. Dalton.1994. Plans can matter! The role of land use plans and state planning mandates in limiting development in hazardous areas . Public Administration Review54 (3): 229—38.
7.
Burchell, R.W., D. Listokin, and C.C. Galley.2000. Smart growth: More than a ghost of urban policy past, less than a bold new horizon. Housing Policy Debate11 (4): 821—79.
8.
Carruthers, J.I.2002. Evaluating the effectiveness of regulatory growth management programs: An analytic framework. Journal of Planning Education and Research21: 391—405. Chen, Don.2001— 2002. Smart growth: More choices for rural development. Rural Voices (7) 1: 8—9.
9.
Connerly, C.E., and N.A. Muller.1993. Evaluating housing elements in growth management comprehensive plans. In Growth management: The planning challenge of the 1990s, edited by J.Stein, 185—99. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
10.
Dalton, L.C., and R.J. Burby.1994. Mandates, plans and planners: Building local commitment to development management. Journal of the American Planning Association60 (4): 444—61.
11.
Daniels, T., J. Keller, and M. Lapping.1995. The small town planning handbook. Chicago: American Planning Association .
12.
Deyle, R.E., and R.A. Smith.1998. Local government compliance with state planning mandates: The effects of state implementation in Florida. Journal of the American Planning Association64 (4): 457—79.
13.
Downs, A.2005. Smart growth: Why we discuss it more than we do it. Journal of the American Planning Association71 (4): 367—80.
14.
Environmental Law Institute.2001. Smart growth in small towns and rural communities: Maryland's eastern shore . Washington, DC: Author.
15.
Jacobs, H.1989. Debates in rural land planning policy: A twentieth century history from New York State. Journal of Rural Studies (5) 2: 137—48.
16.
Lassey, W.R.1977. Planning in rural environments. New York: McGraw-Hill.
17.
Leigh, N.G.2005. Introduction to the special issue on smart growth . Journal of Planning Literature (19) 3: 299—300.
18.
Litman, T.2005. Evaluating criticism of smart growth. Victoria, BC: Victoria Transport Policy Institute.
19.
Miles, M., and A.M. Huberman.1984. Qualitative data analysis: A sourcebook of new methods. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
20.
Nelson, A.C.2002. How do we know smart growth when we see it? In Smart growth: Form and consequences, edited by T. S. Szold and A. Carbonell , 82—101. Cambridge, MA: Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.
21.
Norton, R.K.2005. More and better local planning: State-mandated planning in coastal North Carolina. Journal of the American Planning Association71 (1): 55—71.
22.
Ohm, B.2002. Planning for natural resources: A guide to including natural resources in local comprehensive planning. Madison: Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Wisconsin and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
23.
Olshansky, R.B.1996. The California Environmental Quality Act and local planning . Journal of the American Planning Association62 (3): 313—30.
24.
Shelton, Kirsten.2001—2002. Sustainable development for rural communities. Rural Voices7 (1): 4—6.
25.
Smart Growth Network (SGN).2002. Getting to smart growth: 100 policies for implementation. Washington, DC: International City/ County Management Association.
26.
———. 2003. Getting to smart growth volume II: 100 policies for implementation . Washington, DC: International City/County Management Association.
27.
Talen, E.1996. Do plans get implemented? A review of evaluation in planning . Journal of Planning Literature (10) 3: 248—59.
28.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.2006 . About smart growth. Retrieved from http:/www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/about_sg.htmU.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.2006. Smart growth and livable communities resources. Retrieved from http:/hud.gov/offices/cpd/economicdevelopment/programs/rc/resource/smartliv.cfm
29.
Warbach, J.D., and S. Nicholls, T.F.Y. Bristor, D.F. Holecek, L.A. Martin, and T.I. Herbowicz.2004. Overcoming impediments to smart growth: Finding ways for land development professionals to help achieve sustainability . East Lansing: Michigan Travel, Tourism and Recreation Resource Center at Michigan State University and Planning & Zoning Center, Inc.
30.
Wells, B.2002. Smart growth at the frontier: Strategies and resources for rural communities. Washington, DC: Northeast-Midwest Institute.
31.
Ye, L., S. Mandpe, and P.B. Meyer.2005. What is “smart growth”— really?Journal of Planning Literature (19) 3: 301—15.
