smart growth

Examples of smart growth in the following topics:

• Models of Urban Growth

  • The growth machine theory of urban growth says urban growth is driven by a coalition of interest groups who all benefit from continuous growth and expansion.
  • These actors make up what Molotch termed "the local growth machine. "
  • Two specific types of urban renewal programs—New Urbanism and smart growth—attempt to make cities more pleasant and livable.
  • Smart growth programs draw urban growth boundaries to keep urban development dense and compact.
  • Smart growth programs often incorporate transit-oriented development goals to encourage effective public transit systems and make bicyclers and pedestrians more comfortable.

• Setting Goals

  • Goal setting involves establishing specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-targeted (S.M.A.R.T. ) goals.
  • Setting goals involves establishing specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-targeted (S.M.A.R.T. ) benchmarks for results.

• Stereotypes in Everyday Life

  • An example of the poor logic of universal application is the following: it is a common stereotype that people who wear glasses are smart.
  • For example, it is a common stereotype that people who wear glasses are smart.

• Implications of Different Rates of Growth

  • Different rates of growth can lead to overpopulation or underpopulation, both of which have potential consequences.
  • The population growth rate has been decreasing in higher income countries; however the number of people added to the global population each year continues to increase due to increasing growth rates in lower income countries.
  • However, that population growth is not distributed evenly across all countries.
  • Most population growth comes from developing countries, where birthrates remain high.
  • Rapid population growth in Indian cities has resulted in vast slums as populations have exceeded available land and housing.

• The Future of Population and Urbanization

• Population Trends

  • The world population has been growing continuously since the 14th century, but the growth rate has been decreasing in the last few decades.
  • The world population growth rate was estimated at 1.1% per year as of 2011, a rate which has declined since its peak during the 1950s–1970s.
  • Despite an overall pattern of growth, population trends are not even across countries.
  • A new fear for many governments, particularly those in countries with very low fertility rates, is underpopulation—a state in which the declining population reduces the GDP and economic growth of the country, as population growth is often a driving force of economic expansion.
  • The majority of world population growth today is occurring in less developed countries.

• Problems in Forecasting Population Growth

  • Forecasts try to estimate the rate of population growth, but this is understandably difficult to predict.
  • Population growth is difficult to predict because unforeseen events can alter birth rates, death rates, migration, or the resource limits on population growth.
  • Countries may also choose to undertake mitigation measures to reduce population growth.
  • Any of these changes could affect fertility rates and therefore alter forecasts of population growth.
  • This video uses commonly cited statistics about population growth predictions to advocate for population control.

• Class Structure in the U.S.

  • An example of someone who achieves the American Dream might be a person who is born to poor parents but is smart and hardworking and eventually goes on to receive scholarships for a college education and to become a successful businessperson.

• Demographic Transition Theory

  • Demographic transition theory outlines five stages of change in birth and death rates to predict the growth of populations.
  • Demographic transition theory (Caldwell and Caldwell 2006) suggests that future population growth will develop along a predictable four- or five-stage model.
  • In fact, growth rates were less than 0.05% at least since the Agricultural Revolution over 10,000 years ago.
  • Population growth begins to level off.
  • For countries with intermediate fertility rates (the United States, India, and Mexico all fall into this category), growth is expected to be about 26 percent.

• Three Demographic Variables

  • The basics of demographic population growth depend on the rate of natural increase (births versus deaths) and net migration.
  • The United States illustrates how the rate of natural increase and net migration combine to create population change—the fertility rate in the U.S. is at almost exactly replacement level, but migration into the country is high enough to lead to population growth.
  • Human population growth depends on the rate of natural increase, or the fertility rate minus the mortality rate, and net migration.
  • This means that population growth in the US is due to inward migration, rather than a high birthrate.