The smart grower cometh

Just 10 years ago, the words “smart growth” weren’t yet a part of the nation’s lexicon. The word “sprawl” was, though, and Maryland’s Gov. Parris Glendening forged landmark laws to deal with it.

Using state funds as a carrot, Glendening lured local governments into limiting where developments could go. At the same time, he established a farmland preservation fund. A decade later, that fund is responsible for 30 percent of all the state’s protected lands, and Glendening’s ideas are main principles of smart growth.

On April 14, Glendening will tell the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority a thing or two about proper land-use planning — something that’s virtually nonexistent in the Atlanta area.

His timing is good, too. Recently, GRTA Executive Director Steve Stancil has been flirting with some concepts of smart growth. Stancil says he’d never force local governments to require mixed-use or high-density developments. He just wants to make it easier for developers to build those kinds of projects if they want to. (For more, check out “It’s about smart growth, stupid,” at atlanta.creativeloafing.com/2004-03-04/news_ feature2.html.)

Considering that several studies have shown that Atlanta is one of the most sprawling cities in the country, has one of the longest commute times, and has the third worst air pollution problem, some quality time with Glendening will do Stancil and the rest of the region’s elected officials some good.

Glendening will address GRTA’s land-use committee at 9:30 a.m., 245 Peachtree Center Ave., Suite 900; the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce task force on quality growth, from 3-6 p.m., 235 Andrew Young International Blvd.; and at 7:30 p.m., he’ll speak at Georgia Tech’s Global Learning Center, 84 Fifth Street.

All events are scheduled for April 14 and are open to the public.??