Smart Growth = Economic Development

1000 Friends of Connecticut hosted the final event in its Speaker Series on Thursday, January 19, in the Great Hall of Union Station in downtown Hartford, featuring Tom Condon from the Hartford Courant and Commissioner Catherine Smith from the Department of Economic and Community Development. The overarching message that Smart Growth is economic development was heard by all throughout the evening. Moreover, the Smart Growth group demonstrated a shift in its own message as Tom Condon and Commissioner Smith highlighted not only what Smart Growth prevents, but what it produces.

Commissioner Smith spoke to using her agency to promote healthy cities, rational mass transit, and compact, walkable communities. She reported meeting regularly with the Dept. of Energy and Environmental Protection and the Dept. of Transportation to ensure that moving forward, economic development happens around individuals and existing communities, as opposed to automobiles and parking lots.

If you missed the event, there are a few ways to catch up: You can read Tom Condon's opinion editorial, "Smart Growth is Economic Development," by clicking here, or you can watch the evening's program on CT-N.