Coastal and Waterfront SmartGrowth

Developed in consultation with the national Smart Growth Network, this interagency guide builds on the network's ten smart growth principles to create coastal and waterfront-specific strategies for development.

Available as a website and as a downloadable PDF, the guide is organized into 10 "elements" describing development guidelines for communities interested in implementing coastal and waterfront smart growth. Each element includes a description, the SmartGrowth principle behind it, coastal community context, tools and techniques, and relevant case studies. Each chapter contains a navigation box allowing quick access to the information and the ability to download the content of each page.

The ten elements included in the guide are:

• Mix land uses, including water-dependent uses
• Take advantage of compact community design that enhances, preserves, and provides access to waterfront resources
• Provide a range of housing opportunities and choices to meet the needs of both seasonal and permanent residents
• Create walkable communities with physical and visual access to and along the waterfront for public use
• Foster distinctive, attractive communities with a strong sense of place that capitalizes on the waterfront's heritage
• Preserve open space, farmland, natural beauty, and the critical environmental areas that characterize and support coastal and waterfront communities
• Strengthen and direct development toward existing communities and encourage waterfront revitalization
• Provide a variety of land- and water-based transportation options
• Make development decisions predictable, fair, and cost-effective through consistent policies and coordinated permitting processes
• Encourage community and stakeholder collaboration in development decisions, ensuring that public interests in and rights of access to the waterfront and coastal waters are upheld