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Growth can create great places to live, work, and play -- if it responds to a community's own sense of how and where it wants to grow.
Communities have different needs and will emphasize some smart growth principles over others: those with robust economic growth may need to improve housing choices; others that have suffered from disinvestment may emphasize infill development; newer communities with separated uses may be looking for the sense of place provided by mixed-use town centers; and still others with poor air quality may seek relief by offering transportation choices.
The common thread among all, however, is that the needs of every community and the programs to address them are best defined by the people who live and work there.
Involving the community early and often in the planning process vastly improves public support for smart growth and often leads to innovative strategies that fit the unique needs of each community.
Use third–party groups to ensure that a range of stakeholder views is expressed.
Use nonprofit groups as smart growth consultants.
Use a "kick the tires” trip to take local government officials and residents to visit smart growth communities.
Use quick-response teams to gain approvals for smart growth developments.
Use color-coded maps to establish a planning and zoning framework for future planning decisions.
Illustrate complex concepts with photographs and imagery.
Establish context- sensitive design training courses that focus on community-involvement strategies for traffic engineers. | 
