Smart growth
By: J. David Chapman/July 25, 2019
I was invited to attend a National Association of Realtors presentation titled “Smart Growth for the 21st Century” and hosted by the Edmond Board of Realtors. Nate Johnson, Real Estate Solutions Group in St. Louis, did a fantastic job delivering his Principles of Smart Growth. The Oklahoma City metropolitan area is paying more attention than ever to those principles, and it was evident from the comments of those in attendance that many Realtors see value in focusing on smart growth strategies.
Number one on the list is to create a range of housing opportunities and choices. The OKC area has an excess of expensive, large homes on large lots on the fringe of the city limits. There are not, however, affordable, smaller homes on smaller lots closer to the largest employers and amenities. There are even fewer of those homes with access to public transportation.
Number two is to create walkable neighborhoods. Studies show that walkable communities are desirable places to live, work, worship and play. They are a key component of smart growth cutting down on the carbon footprint, reducing drinking and driving, and leading to a healthier, happy population. OKC is still an extremely auto-centric city.
Number three is to encourage community and stakeholder collaboration. Recently, I wrote about an important tool called a charrette that can be utilized to accomplish this collaboration. Citizens should also be encouraged to play a role in local government by attending city council meetings and joining a board or committee. Let your voice be heard.
Number four is to foster distinctive, attractive communities with a strong sense of place. Again, I’ve written about the importance of placemaking. Smart growth encourages communities to craft a vision and set standards for development and construction that respond to community values of architectural beauty and distinctiveness, as well as expanded choices in housing and transportation.
The culmination of one through four is in number five, which is to implement mixed-land use strategies. Smart growth supports the integration of mixed-land uses into communities as a critical component of achieving better places to live.
These are only a few of the components of smart growth strategies, but I am thankful we are considering ways to improve our communities. Thanks, NAR and EBR, for the opportunity!
J. David Chapman is an associate professor of finance and real estate at the University of Central Oklahoma (jchapman7@uco.edu).