Smart Growth and Transportation: Issues and Lessons Learned; Report of a Conference

This conference was organized around the following five questions: Why is smart growth a transportation issue? What does a smart growth transportation system look like? How does smart growth differ with location (urban infill, suburban redevelopment, and fringe growth) and how do institutional arrangements vary by location? Who must be involved to achieve a smart growth transportation system and what institutional obstacles exist? How can transportation agencies support smart growth and what are the available tools? The conference planning committee, speakers, and attendees represented a broad range of agencies, views, and geographic locations. Included were smart growth advocates and skeptics; transit agencies and highway agencies; national, state, regional, and local agencies; those advocating change in the transportation system and those struggling to accomplish the change; and so forth. While there were no overarching conclusions from such a diverse group, two conclusions appeared to pervade the conference, although they were not voted on or endorsed. First, transportation is inextricably linked to land use and, therefore, to programs such as smart growth. Second, transportation systems that support smart growth are much more nuanced than is typically discussed. The conference proceedings include opening remarks by Charles Howard, Washington State Department of Transportation; presentations addressing the above questions; a keynote presentation by Parris N. Glendening, Governor, State of Maryland; results of a conference wrap-up session; reports from two breakout sessions; and a list of participants.