Growing Smarter: Path to a Prosperous Maryland

How Maryland grows will impact the health of our environment, the strength of our communities, and the quality of life for all Marylanders.

Smart growth provides an economic stimulant, and efficient development patterns protect local and state economic viability. We know that:

• Urban redevelopment costs almost half as much as  suburban development for infrastructure expenses such as roads, water and sewer, and services.
• Compact development reduces local governments’ fiscal deficits by nearly 40%.
• High density housing produces only a quarter of the polluted runoff compared to suburban sprawl.
• Focusing housing and jobs around town centers and transit stops saves residents on costly transportation and housing expenses.

There are significant opportunities in front of us. Elected officials can influence the long-term economic viability of Maryland through the following conversations:

How and where we grow:

The next four years will require critical decisions that will impact the sustainability of Maryland into the future.  These discussions include creating an effective State Development Plan, developing criteria for transportation projects, and creating implementation plans for bay restoration, such as limiting sprawling growth on septic systems.  Smart growth plays a critical role in each.

Transportation funding:

The dismal state of the transportation trust fund led to the creation of the Blue Ribbon Commission on Transportation Funding last session.  It is clear that Maryland will be addressing funding sources for transportation projects. Yet simply raising more money for the same types of projects will not result in a more sustainable system.  We need smarter funding sources that fund smarter transportation projects.

Preserving rural lands:

Maryland has a dedicated program for funding open space preservation, but it is very clear that buying land alone will not do enough to preserve our rural lands.  We must adopt policies that protect our open spaces and support the economic viability of our farmers to prevent townhomes and strip malls from becoming the final crop on our farmland.

Local growth decisions:

Every day, growth decisions are made at the local level.  The strength of our communities, the economic viability of our tax base, and the success of land preservation and bay restoration will be determined by the location and type of development that is permitted.  Local growth plans and zoning decisions can chart a course toward a prosperous, sustainable future.

Download "Growing Smarter: Path to a Prosperous Maryland" to learn more about smart growth issues and the policies that will move us forward.