Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In

Today on the Streetsblog Network, we're looking at a post from Kaid Benfield on NRDC Switchboard about smart growth and how to make it more affordable. The answer, in a nutshell, is to build more of it -- and the market tells us the demand is there.

Benfield writes about a recent paper by Todd Litman of the Victoria Transport Institute called "Where We Want To Be: Home Location Preferences And Their Implications For Smart Growth (pdf)." Benfield writes:

4005329285_e9ec2cbcfd.jpg

One of the more frustrating challenges for people in our field to
overcome is a certain past-is-destiny argument from sprawl defenders
who contend that past trends in favor of large-lot, dispersed,
automobile-dependent development constitute proof that Americans want
more of it in the future. 

In fact, signals in the market have never been clearer that consumer
preferences are changing and that demand for smart growth will outpace
both demand for sprawl and current smart growth supply trends in the
coming decades.…

Litman walks the reader through the evidence, from market surveys to
trend data to quite a bit of academic research, all suggesting that,
while demand for large-lot suburban homes will remain (an important
point), it is not where the growth in demand will occur.

Litman's work is a must-read for anyone interested in the relationship between smart growth and market forces.

More from around the network: Bike Commuting in Columbus looks at why cyclists in that city break the law. The WashCycle examines a BBC report on risks for women bikers. And St. Louis Urban Workshop blogs about the importance of complete streets in transit planning.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Friday Video: The London Neighborhood Where Bikes Outnumber Cars

...and how they got to that impressive milestone.

July 11, 2025

Friday’s Headlines Battle Galactus

Like the Marvel supervillain, U.S. interstate highway system seems to eat up everything in his path. A new book explores how to stop it.

July 11, 2025

New Report Shows Pedestrian Fatalities Drop — But Experts Say Not Enough

The Governors Highway Safety Association report showed a 4 percent drop in the number of pedestrian deaths last year, putting a slow on a dangerous trend — but advocates say the drop isn't nearly big enough.

July 11, 2025

Talking Headways Podcast: Localities Subsidize the State DOT

Adie Tomer of Brookings on how to improve regional coordination around infrastructure.

July 10, 2025

Five of the Ugliest Transportation Policies In the ‘Big, Beautiful’ Bill

Here's a rundown of some of the transportation provisions in the Republicans' reconciliation package, and what they might mean for your community.

July 10, 2025

Viva La Thursday’s Headlines

Why is French transit ridership up 10 percent since before the pandemic, while American transit ridership is down 23 percent?

July 10, 2025
See all posts