Smart Growth Publications

Views to the Mountain

(PDFs: Part 1, 9.8 mb; Part 2, 8 mb; Part 3 9.4 mb) This Manual details how to assess scenic assets and provides examples of regulatory and non-regulatory solutions, including building and site selection suggestions.

Developing, Collecting and Analyzing Indicators of Downtown Health: A Handbook

This handbook details the process of our Indicators of Downtown Health research project and describes how to use this process in your community. Click here for a link to the PDF and associated documents.

(PDF, 4.2 mb) A View from the Road: Patterns, Principles and Guidelines for Roadscape Design. This brochure provides more in-depth design guidelines for roadscape design and is intended to be used with the Roadscape Guide.

(PDF, 2.4 Mb)  This publication shows how communities can encourage neighborhood development in and adjacent to downtowns and village centers. Featuring site plans for parcels in Middlebury, Shoreham and Vergennes, The Vermont Neighborhoods Project describes the public planning process, including aerial and elevation images and outlines current project activities.

(PDF, 3.1 Mb)  Smart Growth Vermont partnered with the Vermont Business Roundtable to create models for commercial and industrial development, as well as recommendations for policy changes. New Models for Commercial & Industrial Development features five smart growth, mixed-use site plans for specific parcels in Bennington, South Burlington and Waterbury.

(PDF, 1.7 Mb)  This handbook provides communities, developers, non-profit groups and others interested in smart growth with a set of best development practices for residential, commercial and industrial development – practices that characterize and promote “smart growth” as a viable alternative to sprawl. Examples are included to illustrate that smart growth is happening in Vermont and around the country.

(PDF, 519 K)  This handbook provides an overview of tools and strategies that can be used to make smart growth work. It is a good place to get familiarized with tools and processes that make the link between planning and smart growth.

(PDF, 4.9 Mb)  Vermont leads the nation in per-capita direct sales of produce from farmers to consumers.  By supporting Vermont-grown products, you are making a lasting difference in your community and the landscape of Vermont and keeping your hard earned dollars in the state.  Whether you join a community supported agriculture (CSA), buy produce at the farmers market, frequent your community’s general store or purchase products from a local business, you are helping to keep our rural landscape a viable economic force.

If you are unsure of where to get started, our publication, Communities and the Land provides examples and stories of what other individuals and towns are doing to strengthen the connections with the working landscape.  Coming soon will be an on-line resource of up-to-date stories and resources.

The Exploring Sprawl Research Series examines Vermonters’ opinions on land-use issues pertaining to sprawl. View and download the six-part series.

(PDF, 3.2 Mb)  This 2007 Smart Growth Progress Report Update represents a comprehensive evaluation of Vermont’s policies, programs and investments, documenting and quantifying how specific state programs — including economic development incentives, school construction and transportation investments — have engendered smart growth or sprawl. Smart Growth Vermont is coordinator of the Vermont Smart Growth Collaborative and a co-author of this report.

(PDF, 2.8 Mb)  The Smart Growth Progress Report represents a comprehensive evaluation of Vermont’s policies, programs and investments, documenting and quantifying how specific state programs — including economic development incentives, school construction and transportation investments — have engendered smart growth or sprawl. Smart Growth Vermont is coordinator of the Vermont Smart Growth Collaborative and a co-author of this report.

(PDF, 2.12 Mb) This publication is offered as part of a series designed to help local officials, citizens and interest groups plan for growth.  Community Investments iN Smart Growth: A Decision Maker’s Guide was prepared by the Vermont Forum on Sprawl in cooperation with The Orton Foundation. Research and drafting was conducted by Yellow Wood Associates.

(PDF, 1.7 Mb) This publication provides statistics and information on the housing crisis facing Vermont. According to this report, almost half of all Vermonters cannot afford the median priced home. Published by the Vermont Housing and Finance Agency, this is the 2010 update of this annual report.