Identifying and establishing environmentally suitable and transit viable New Growth Areas, adjacent to or within cities, will limit urban sprawl and rural land loss.

When a city or town has exhausted its options for growth by retrofitting existing infrastructure or infilling underused areas, it must plan for viable new growth areas within established growth boundaries. These areas are often located at the edges of cities and metropolitan regions, and are commonly free of urban uses.

Plan for growth areas that:

  • Are located along existing or planned transit lines;
  • Create high-density, mixed-use land patterns;
  • Incorporate job centers and public amenities within a walking distance of residential areas; and
  • Protect natural resources, avoiding damaging farmland and other environmental assets.