Poverty and Smart Growth

It is not often that I hear this. A few days ago in conversation I was told that poverty is not an issue that is central to Smart Growth. I was taken by surprise by this as this person does have feelings for the poor, but somehow could not make the connection.

I am on the Smarter Niagara Steering Committee and have been for 6 years. One of the so called "10 Principles" of Smart Growth is the availability of a range of housing options. It is a weak half-hearted statement, but there it is. What burns me about Smart Growth is the emphasis on technical issues: transects, road widths, bicycle paths, walkability, density. What we often get out of this is Smart Sprawl, developments that have all of these features, but are disconnected from the rest of community life as smartly designed socially gated communities with Stepford standards and prices forcing out the untidiness of the mere ordinary.

My view is that it is not "Smart" if it does not move us socially or economically toward making room for all. The root of this evil is the inequity of income and opportunity, along with the contrasting gluttony of conspicuous and near patriotic consumption supporting the extended last gasp of oil based market economy. Smart growth that leaves out the poor, that further segregates people on the basis of financial equity, is just as cruel as 'dumb' growth'. It is just better to look at and more enjoyable for the 'creative class'.

This is from Trixie Ling at Citizens for Public Justice:

"The visible signs of housing insecurity across Canada are part of a bigger picture of the impact of poverty. The reality is that poverty creates social exclusion and inequality by denying people access to affordable and adequate housing and to full participation in the economy and society. While poverty creates barriers for people to live responsibly and build healthy communities, lack of decent housing is detrimental to the health and well-being of individuals and families. "

I would add it is detrimental to all of us. In the end, if large numbers of citizens are smartly left behind, left out of the sweetness of new traditional neighbourhoods and vibrant downtowns, then we have not accomplished very much at all. Decay, crime, and despair will have just moved down the street into the old suburbs we so love to hate. Eventually it will all come back.

The disparity of income and opportunity, - and I'm no socialist! - that is where the battle begins for a fair and just society that is capable of adapting successfully to a sustainable future.