Overview

Numerous governors have created growth and quality of life offices and programs to determine what their citizens think would make the ideal future community and provide assistance in achieving that ideal. Though local governments play a large role in growth planning, states have responsibilities over transportation planning, economic development, some infrastructure improvements, state-owned real estate, and coordination of regional growth planning that crosses local jurisdictions. To be sure, many metropolitan areas cross state lines, and growth and development decisions often involve more than one governor.

Focus of Center Activities

The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (Center) provides assistance to governors and their policy staff in developing broad statewide visions of preferred patterns of growth; obtaining more efficient and effective collaboration among the many state agencies involved with land use and growth planning; and creating more effective support and guidance to local government units. The Center produces meetings, reports, peer-to-peer exchanges, and tailored technical assistance for governors and their policy staff.

Certainly, growth planning is a complex issue related to many other state concerns. The Center also provides information and technical assistance on related issues such as brownfields redevelopment, active living, and transportation planning.

Related Links:

Policy Organizations

• American Planning Association
  
• Brookings Center for Urban and Metropolitan Policy
  
• Center for Neighborhood Technology
  
• Congress for the New Urbanism
  
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Community-Based Environmental Protection Agency - Development, Community & Environment Division
  

• Delaware - Governor Ruth Ann Minner's Livable Delaware Agenda
  
• Delaware Office of State Planning Coordination
  
• Maine State Planning Office, Land Use Team
  
• Maryland Department of Planning
  
• New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, Office of Smart Growth
  
• New York Quality Communities Clearinghouse
  
• Oregon Solutions
  
• Pennsylvania Governor's Center for Local Government Services, Land Use Office
  
• Pennsylvania Growing Smarter
  
• Utah - Envision Utah
  
• Utah Quality Growth Commission