Gary LoRusso -- Alaska

Gary LoRusso Alaska

Gary LoRusso | How to Get Involved in

Smart Growth

In keeping up with the major trends and movements in his industry, professional property developer Gary LoRusso has seen how many cities across the United States are radically changing the lives of their residents through smart growth. “Smart growth,” as he explains, is a new field of urban planning and transportation development practice that focuses on the way in which residents of a city live and move within their neighborhoods.

At the heart of smart growth initiatives, explains LoRusso, is a focus on designing and developing urban communities in a more compact and efficient manner. By doing so, proponents of smart growth trends seek to make these cities more sustainable in terms of both size and the health of the environment. By reducing urban sprawl, smart growth seeks to cut down on the impact that said city has to its surrounding environment and the quality of its air.

In other words, says LoRusso, smart growth is meant to create smaller, more efficient cities while simultaneously cutting down on air pollution, environmental encroachment, and climate change.

Naturally, with such a progressive environmental focus, smart growth has been gaining many proponents across the nation. But not everyone who advocates for smart growth lives in a city in which these practices are seeing plans for widespread implementation. Rather than feel like a noteworthy movement is passing them by, though, these individuals can take steps to involve themselves, and their communities, in the spirit of smart growth. Below, Gary LoRusso explains how.

Leave the Car at Home

Environmental sustainability is one of the guiding principles of the smart growth theory, LoRusso points out. Much of the work being done during smart growth development is done with an eye toward reducing the amount of vehicles that get out on the road as well as the time that they spend there. So even if their particular neighborhood has not adopted smart growth, individuals can contribute to the movement by getting out of their cars.

“Walk, ride a bike, or take the bus or the subway if you have to get somewhere,” LoRusso advises. “Or, if you can, skip the trip altogether. The less time you spend in your car in traffic, the fewer greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants you’re putting out and the more you’re saving on gas money. You’ll also save stress from traffic issues and, if you walk or bike, you’ll be getting some exercise. The benefits are many and cumulative.”

Buy Local More Often

Another major principle of smart growth is community betterment. By making urban neighborhoods more compact and inclusive, smart growth developers hope to make them more efficient, thereby increasing local business and revenue. Individuals can have the same impact by taking their shopping to local providers whenever possible.

“Buying local is usually a bit more expensive than buying from a big department store chain,” admits LoRusso, “but the additional benefits to the community make up for it. You’re strengthening the economy of your neighborhood and supporting your neighbors. The more self-sustaining a community can be through business, the more efficient it is and the better its quality of life will show for it in the long run.”

Brush Up on Local Education

For those serious about bringing smart growth to their communities, knowing the nuances and details of that community can prove incredibly helpful, says LoRusso. By learning more about the environmental, economic, and social conditions of their neighborhoods, smart growth advocates can gain a better understanding of what methods will be most effective and what impact their decisions can be expected to have.

In addition, LoRusso points out, it also pays to further research about smart growth itself, including the details behind the theories and how other communities across the United States have successfully implemented them. “The more you learn,” says LoRusso, “the better equipped you’ll be to make a difference.”

Gary LoRusso Discusses the Arguments against Smart Growth

For all of its beneficial ambition, smart growth, like many social movements, is not entirely free from detractors, LoRusso reveals. In fact, he says, many people have spoken up against smart growth, often with the same concerns as its advocates.

“The biggest argument against smart growth practices seems to be that they do not work as well when applied as they do in theory,” LoRusso reports. “For instance, one major issue that smart growth seeks to address is a reduction of vehicular traffic through more compact neighborhoods. The idea is that the closer vital services and amenities like shops and bus stops are to residential areas, the less people will need to drive their own vehicles.”

But as detractors point out, many individuals are reluctant to cut down on the use of their private automobiles regardless of the convenience of alternatives. Rather than reduce traffic, then, they say that smart growth has only condensed it into a more concentrated area, exacerbating its effects on air quality and the environment.

But whether or not smart growth practices, when applied to an entire city, are better or worse than traditional growth, the ideas behind it are noble, says LoRusso. “Whether you agree with its methods or not, you have to respect its goals. And by taking the initiative themselves to implement these ideas more into their daily lives, individuals can begin making a positive difference in their communities today.”

ABOUT:

LoRusso is an expert and highly active professional in the fields of property development and land surveying. He is the owner and founder of Keystone Surveying & Mapping, a company which he began in 1991 in the community of Palmer, AK. By staying informed and up to date on all of the latest trends and technological developments within the industry, Gary LoRusso keeps himself as knowledgeable and relevant as possible for his clients.

Gary LoRusso | How to Get Involved in Smart Growth 11:40 am Elizabeth Becker

Gary LoRusso | How to Get Involved in Smart Growth by Elizabeth Becker