Welcome to Smart Growth in Ontario

Smart growth is nothing less than a radical shift in how we approach urban development.

It is only radical because much of the status quo is so abysmally poor.  For much of the past half century we have been creating car-dependent sprawl environments and sacrificing community values for large homes and backyards.

Times are changing.  Rising oil costs alone will necessitate a completely different style of urban form.  But the change is also being driven by public desire to live in accessible and walkable communities.

Smart growth is a return to urban villages.  We define an urban village as "a place that has almost everything you need on a daily basis and you can walk to get there".  A village includes a centre for local stores, services and restaurants; schools, daycare and healthcare; and formal and informal recreation areas. It has the density to support all these services within a walkable community.

Design from http://www.crescent-village.com/ in Eugene, Oregon

Village design can be applied to city neighbourhoods, town centres, bedroom communities and rural villages.  It can also be applied to new greenfield developments, neighbourhood revitalization projects, and it can help guide intensification projects.  Essentially it can be applied in any area where there are pressures for urban growth and increased density. Through our projects and activities, the members of the Ontario Smart Growth Network are helping to change the dominant form of urban development in Ontario from urban sprawl to urban villages.