Examples of Smart Growth Communities and Projects

For decades, communities across the country have been implementing smart growth strategies in collaboration with EPA.  Some of the best examples of smart growth communities and projects are highlighted on this page.

On this page:

• Local Foods, Local Places
• Cool & Connected
• Transportation Electrification
• Smart Growth Award Winners
• Principles of Smart Growth Illustrated
• Publications

Local Foods, Local Places 

Since its launch in 2014, the Local Foods, Local Places program has assisted more than 125 communities across the country to develop local food enterprises, such as farmers markets, community gardens, cooperative grocery stores, and food hubs that improve environmental, economic, and health outcomes. These case studies show communities using local foods to protect the environment, improve access to healthy food, revitalize neighborhoods, and boost local economic opportunities.

Case Studies

• Ajo, Arizona
• Duck Hill, Mississippi
• Gloucester, Massachusetts
• Huntington, West Virginia
• North Wilkesboro, North Carolina
• Passaic, New Jersey
• Walterboro, South Carolina

Podcasts and Videos

• Harlan, Kentucky: Listen to a podcast about how Harlan's participation in Local Foods, Local Places is helping the town grow its local food economy and revitalize downtown. 
• Corbin, Kentucky: Watch a video on how community members in Corbin used local foods to revitalize their downtown, helping to reduce the vacancy rate from 40 percent to 5 percent. 
• Peoria, Illinois: Watch a video on how community members in Peoria are developing a vision of using the local food system to support community revitalization in the Southside neighborhood. 
• Rainelle, West Virginia: Watch a video on how Rainelle is using Local Foods, Local Places assistance to build a robust local food economy, revitalize downtown, and bring hope and health to community members while recovering from floods that devastated the community in the summer of 2016. 
• Williamson, West Virginia: Watch a video on how community members in Williamson used a health care center and local foods to anchor their downtown redevelopment efforts. 

Cool & Connected 

Cool & Connected was a planning assistance program that helped community members develop strategies and an action plan for using broadband to create walkable, connected, economically vibrant main streets and small-town neighborhoods that improve human health and the environment. 

Case Studies

• Lakeville, Indiana
• Millinocket, Maine

Podcasts

• Erwin, Tennessee: Learn how Erwin is transitioning from a railroad-centered town to a 21st century, broadband-connected community by investing in reliable, high-speed internet and using that new broadband access to attract development to its walkable, historic downtown.
• Millinocket, Maine: Millinocket is recovering from losing a major employer that anchored the town for over a century by pairing improved broadband internet access with a focus on downtown revitalization.

Transportation Electrification

To help communities plan for an increase in electric vehicles and develop strategies to fund and implement clean transportation, including EV-charging infrastructure, EPA is partnering with a range of federal and community-based organizations. 

The initial phase of this collaboration provided technical assistance to two communities – Gonzales, Louisiana and Brooklyn Park, Minnesota – to help them plan for transportation electrification in ways that meet multiple community needs.

The technical assistance entailed working with each community to evaluate their assets and needs, engage with local residents and decision-makers at a planning workshop, facilitate conversations about local needs and goals and develop a community-driven action plan supported by a network of partners who can help with implementation.

Case Studies

• Gonzales, Louisiana Explores Transportation Electrification Opportunities

Smart Growth Award Winners

EPA's National Award for Smart Growth Achievement recognized communities that use smart growth principles to create better places.

The 64 projects in 28 states (2002-2015) that won awards and honorable mentions can offer useful lessons and models for other communities. Winning projects range from statewide initiatives to individual buildings, in communities large and small across the country. Click on the winning project's name or a year to see the booklet with descriptions of the winners for that year. Videos are included for the award winners from 2009 to 2015.

Though these activities took place in the past, they are still relevant today to inspire and guide efforts to create  stronger, resilient communities.

Smart Growth Illustrated

Smart growth is generally defined by 10 principles developed in 1996 by the Smart Growth Network, a partnership of real estate and development, environmental, historic preservation, affordable housing, public health, government, and other organizations. The list below provides visual examples of smart growth techniques brought to life.

While every example illustrates several smart growth principles, each one was chosen to highlight one specific principle. Together, these case studies show how the 10 smart growth principles have helped 20 communities around the country build and support healthy, prosperous neighborhoods with a high quality of life for people of all income levels.

Publications

These publications provide further place-based examples of how smart growth concepts have been put into action.

• Old North St. Louis: Sustainably Developing a Historic District
• Creating Safe Growth Strategies for the San Francisco Bay Area
• Atlantic Station (Atlantic Steel Site Redevelopment Project)