Land Preservation

In the future, livable communities will be the basis for our competitiveness and economic strength. Our efforts to make communities more livable today must emphasize the right kind of growth--sustainable growth. Promoting a better quality of life for our families need never come at the expense of economic growth. Indeed, in the 21st century it can and must be an engine for economic growth. —Vice President Al Gore

The Benefits of Land Conservation
Instead of costing money, conserving open space as a smart growth strategy can save communities money.

In the long term, economic advantage will go to communities that are able to guide growth through land conservation and other smart growth measures. In some instances a community's bond rating may actually rise after it has shown it can control growth by purchasing open space.

One 1998 real estate industry analysis predicts that over the next 25 years, real estate values will rise fastest in the smart communities that incorporate the traditional characteristics of successful cities: a concentration of amenities, an integration of residential and commercial districts, and a "pedestrian-friendly configuration.

But many low-density suburban communities will suffer lower land values because of poor planning, increasing traffic, deteriorating housing stock, and loss of exclusivity, the report predicts, concluding that "there is no greater risk to land values than unrestrained development.