Sprawl and Smart Growth

Smart Growth BC has a fantastic page explaining the costs and impacts of sprawling development. Nearly everyone seems to be in favour of Smart Growth as a set of principles, especially the importance of confining development to areas that are already serviced to limit sprawl and protect agricultural land. The current draft of Summerland's OCP reflects those principles in the narrative and stakeholders' feedback, but the bulk of the proposed future development appears to be slated for large single-family suburbs on hillsides away from the town centre. How could they be considered anything but sprawl?

Smart Growth BC is working with community communities to:

• Avoid urban sprawl by promoting compact human settlement that avoids unplanned growth and ensures efficient development
  
• Minimize the use of cars by encouraging walking, bicycling and public transit
  
• Protect the ecological integrity of urban and suburban areas
  
• Maintain the integrity of a secure and productive agricultural land base
  
• Promote adequate and affordable housing
  
• Preserve, create and link urban and rural open space
  
• Promote alternative development standards
  
• Ensure an early and ongoing role for citizens in planning, design and development processes