advocates compact, transit-oriented, walkable, bicycle-friendly land use,
neighborhood schools, and mixed-use development with a range of housing
choices. Smart growth values long-range, regional considerations of
sustainability over a short-term focus. Its sustainable development goals are to
achieve a unique sense of community and place, expand the range of
transportation, employment, and housing choices, equitably distribute the costs
and benefits of development, preserve and enhance natural and cultural
resources, and promote public health. Specific steps include:
■ Providing subsidies for mass transit systems and riders
■ Reducing urban blight by replacing abandoned buildings with green, open
spaces
■ Providing property tax incentives to companies that locate in urban
centers
■ Adopting mixed-use planning—blending a combination of residential,
commercial, cultural, institutional, and/or industrial uses in a specific
location
■ Developing greenbelts and other areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or
agricultural land surrounding urban areasTRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE
Transportation can be via roadways or water channels. Areas without
transportation infrastructure suffer an ecosystem impact.
Federal Highway System
The federal highway system contains approximately 160,000 miles (256,000
km) of roadway important to the nation’s economy, defense, and mobility.
Although interstate highways usually receive substantial federal funding and
comply with federal standards, they are owned, built, and operated by the states
in which they are located.
The system serves all major U.S. cities. Unlike counterparts in most
industrialized countries, interstates often go through downtown areas and
facilitate urban sprawl. The distribution of virtually all goods and services
involve interstate highways at some point. Residents of American cities
commonly use urban interstates to travel to their employment.
An efficient and well-maintained federal highway system can have the
following impacts on the environment: