Coastal and waterfront communities have a distinctive sense of place. The water, beaches, cliffs, rocky shores, and other natural features attract people and spur development.
Smart growth approaches to development are guided by a set of principles that help communities grow in ways that expand economic opportunity, protect public health and the environment, and enhance places that people care about. Some of these approaches also help communities become more resilient to the hazards created by weather and climate, including drought, sea level rise, and coastal inland flooding.
A new publication shows how to best apply the basic smart growth principles in a coastal setting. Smart Growth for Coastal and Waterfront Communities was developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), along with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the International City/County Management Association, and Rhode Island Sea Grant.
“The guidebook is arranged around the coastal version of the basic ten principles of smart growth development,” says Susan Fox, one of the project contributors from the NOAA Coastal Services Center. “Each principle includes information about growth-related challenges and opportunities, a description of tools and techniques for applying smart growth, and case studies that illustrate implementation.”
Smart Growth Coastal and Waterfront Elements
- Mix land uses, including water-dependent uses.
- Take advantage of compact community design that enhances, preserves, and provides access to waterfront resources.
- Provide a range of housing opportunities and choices to meet the needs of both seasonal and permanent residents.
- Create walkable communities with physical and visual access to and along the waterfront for public use.
- Foster distinctive, attractive communities with a strong sense of place that capitalizes on the waterfront’s heritage.
- Preserve open space, farmland, natural beauty, and the critical environmental areas that characterize and support coastal and waterfront communities.
- Strengthen and direct development toward existing communities, and encourage waterfront revitalization.
- Provide a variety of land- and water-based transportation options.
- Make development decisions predictable, fair, and cost effective through consistent policies and coordinated permitting processes.
- Encourage community and stakeholder collaboration in development decisions, ensuring that public interests in and rights of access to the waterfront and coastal waters are upheld.
An electronic copy of Smart Growth for Coastal and Waterfront Communities is available from www.coastalsmartgrowth.noaa.gov. To receive a hard copy, e-mail Donna.Mccaskill@noaa.gov.
