Smart Growth for Small Towns
Smart Growth for Small Towns relates the principles of Smart Growth to towns and rural communities, providing examples, discussion, explanation, and advice on community design and development.
The educational information provided on this site is intended to contribute to an understanding of the intent and purpose of the Smart Growth principles. However, planning for the future of our small towns requires input from a variety of fields and includes issues of design, policymaking, and governance. This site is focused primarily upon design issues associated with small towns and is intended to serve as a resource for government officials, teachers, designers, and the general public.
The explanation of each Smart Growth principle includes the following:
A.) Discussion of the purpose of the principles and why it is important.
B.) Strategies that suggest actions communities can take to help achieve the goals of the principle.
Ten Principles of Smart Growth:
- Mix land uses
- Take advantage of compact building design
- Create a range of housing opportunities and choices
- Create walkable neighborhoods
- Foster distinctive, attractive communities with a strong sense of place
- Preserve open space, farmland, natural beauty, and critical environmental areas
- Strengthen and direct development towards existing communities
- Provide a variety of transportation choices
- Make development decisions predictable, fair, and cost effective
- Encourage community and stakeholder collaboration in development decisions
Smart Growth for Small Towns is a cooperative project of Extension faculty of the Department of Landscape Architecture and the Stennis Institute of Government and Community Development. For more information contact Michael Seymour, Associate Extension Professor at Michael.Seymour@msstate.edu or Jeremy Murdock, Research Associate at Jeremy@sig.msstate.edu.
Publications
News
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Movies depict many scenarios where a person has to leave home quickly, and those scenes show how important it is to grab the right items.
Susan Cosgrove, family resource management Extension associate with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said cash and financial records should be high on the list of items to take in an emergency.
Almost 10 percent of Mississippi’s $11 billion in annual exports are agricultural products, and Mississippi State University Extension Service experts are working to see that amount increase.
One of the signs that spring will be sprung in the near future is when the daffodils start awakening and poking up in the landscape beds.
When the temperatures drop for several days, getting warm is the only thing on our minds. Sometimes desperation leads people to make choices they wouldn’t consider otherwise.
Visitors to the annual Forge Day event Jan. 26 at the Mississippi State University Crosby Arboretum can see a reality television competitor demonstrate his skills.
Success Stories
Harry Dendy of Clinton first joined the Mississippi State University Extension Service 4-H Youth Development program in Chickasaw County 62 years ago, when he was 10 years old. Forestry was his main project area.
Katelyn Orr helped Cleveland residents get their hearts pumping and burn a few calories during the Community Walk in April.
When Calhoun County supervisors helped buy a grain bin rescue tube for their fire departments, they hoped no one would ever have to use it
When Julia Bailey returned to her native DeKalb in 1992, she wanted to get involved in her community.
See what's new in Extension: Gather for First Extension Beef-Production Workshop, the Food Factor Goes Digital, Extension Professionals Share Expertise, and Extension Offers New HappyHealthy Program.
