Phoenix as Everycity: A Closer Look at Sprawl in the Desert - Design with the Desert: Conservation and Sustainable Development - page 258

14.5 Sustainable Solutions to Sprawl
Sprawl has many negative impacts on communities with very little positive other than
the profits gained through land development or home sales. No matter the definition of
sustainability, few would consider sprawl-style development sustainable. To be sustain-
able, it is critical that future generations not be saddled with the true costs of today's
development. With urban sprawl, the costs are deferred to taxpayers as well as to future
generations. “The Sonoran Desert can support a surprisingly large number of people,
but there are limits to its life-sustaining capacity,” states Todd Bostwick, City of Phoenix
Archaeologist. 34
After many years of discussion and consideration of sprawl by community planners,
developers, and the public at large, the debate on how to address the concerns of sprawl
has no clear answer or solution. Over time, a series of measures to address sprawl and
its negative impacts have received attention from positive applications in other areas.
The following section represents some key tools for communities to address appropriate
growth strategies for their residents. The solutions best suited for a given community will
depend on the local land uses, political will, citizen involvement, and financial resources
available to implement the conservation measure (see Chapter 13).
14.5.1 Smart Growth?
A solid alternative to urban sprawl might include slower and better planned growth and
making more conscious decisions about where development should go. Consideration of
what is sustainable in a desert city is essential. Concentrating development where schools,
roads, and sewer lines are already in place and reinvesting in older communities instead of
abandoning them is critical to limiting sprawl. To curb sprawl, communities must revital-
ize downtowns and place homes near transit centers or within walking distance of shops,
restaurants, and offices, preserving open space and channeling growth away from critical
open space and sensitive habitat. Cutting the subsidies that feed sprawl and reinvesting in
existing communities can help rein in urban sprawl as well. Today, these types of actions
are often packaged as “Smart Growth.” According to Smart Growth America, there are
10 principles of Smart Growth 34 :
• Provide a variety of transportation choices.
• Mix land uses.
• Create a range of housing opportunities and choices.
• Create walkable neighborhoods.
• Encourage community and stakeholder collaboration.
• Foster distinctive, attractive communities with a strong sense of place.
• Make development decisions predictable, fair, and cost effective.
• Preserve open space, farmland, natural beauty, and critical environmental areas.
• Strengthen and direct development toward existing communities.
• Take advantage of compact building design and eficient infrastructure design.
The term “Smart Growth,” however, has been used to describe a number of developments
that are far from the city centers. These developments, such as the Verrado development