Smart
Growth and Water
How Connecticut’s current
development is hurting every community . . .
and why smarter growth may be the
answer.
created by
The CenterEdge Project
|
This fact
sheet is a brief summary of a
translation paper on smart growth, part of a series produced by the Funders’
Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities. The full papers can be found on the Funders’ Network website, www.fundersnetwork.org |
· Across the nation, many of our waterways are
endangered by serious pollution, even though clean water is a crucial
element of our nation’s environmental health and is consistently ranked as
the most important environmental issue for Americans.
· Sprawl is the second
largest and fastest growing source of runoff, dangerous contaminants which
flow from farms, roads and other developed areas into rivers.
· As a result, land
use reform is a crucial element of any effective strategy to protect our
waterways.
· A watershed is the area
of land that drains into a river, lake or estuary. Maintaining the health of a watershed is
crucial to maintaining the health of the body of water it is connected to.
· Protecting watersheds
on a regional scale requires that growth be channeled into areas where
development has already occurred and efficiency of land use be improved.
· On the other hand, watersheds
that are most valuable to the public because of their biological resources
and recreational purposes should be protected through regional development
planning.
· An increase in the
percentage of paved road area within a watershed has devastating effects on
the biological health of waterways and the diversity of aquatic life they
support.
· In addition, heavy
automobile traffic leads to higher levels of gas, oil, and heavy materials
runoff into nearby rivers or lakes.
· Innovative community
planning that creates denser communities and alternate transportation
options can have an enormous impact on neighboring watersheds.
· Maintaining healthy and biologically vibrant
waterways ensures these crucial natural resources will be available for all
future generations to enjoy.
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For more information about smart
growth, how it affects your community and what you can do, contact the
CenterEdge project. Office of Urban Affairs, Archdiocese of
Hartford 81 Saltonstall Avenue New Haven , CT
06513-4356 Contact Patricia Wallace, 203-777-7279 or
Pwallace@oua-adh.org This fact sheet prepared by Jessica
Leight, Project Assistant to the CenterEdge Project. |