Legal Definitions - growth management

Growth management refers to a set of strategies and regulations used by local governments to control the pace, location, and character of development within their communities. It involves implementing local laws, often called ordinances, to influence how quickly new homes, businesses, and infrastructure can be built. The primary goal is to ensure that growth occurs in a way that can be supported by existing public services, preserves natural resources, and maintains the desired quality of life and community character for residents.

Here are some examples of how growth management might be applied:

• Imagine a suburban town experiencing a sudden population boom due to its proximity to a new major employer. The rapid influx of new residents is straining local schools, increasing traffic congestion, and overwhelming public utilities like water and sewer systems. To address this, the town council might implement a growth management ordinance that limits the number of new residential building permits issued each year to a specific number, such as 250. This allows the town to slow down development, giving it time to expand its infrastructure and school capacity to meet the needs of its growing population without being completely overwhelmed.

• Consider a small coastal community known for its pristine beaches and sensitive wetland ecosystems. Residents are concerned that unchecked development could destroy natural habitats, pollute waterways, and fundamentally alter the town's quiet, scenic character. Through growth management, the town could enact regulations that require new developments to demonstrate adequate water supply and wastewater treatment capacity before permits are granted, and also establish strict density limits or even temporary moratoriums on construction in environmentally vulnerable areas. This ensures that any new growth is sustainable and does not irreversibly harm the environment or the community's unique appeal.

• In an older city neighborhood undergoing revitalization, there's a desire to encourage new housing and businesses but also to preserve the historic architecture and pedestrian-friendly streetscapes. Without growth management, developers might build large, out-of-character high-rises. The city could implement growth management policies that set height restrictions for new buildings, require new developments to include a certain percentage of affordable housing units, and cap the total square footage of new commercial space permitted annually within the historic district. These measures guide development to be compatible with the existing neighborhood fabric, ensuring revitalization happens in a way that enhances rather than detracts from its unique identity and serves diverse community needs.