Environmental Characteristics of Smart Growth Neighborhoods: Two Nashville Neighborhoods

This study, published in February 2003 for the Natural Resources Defense Council in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, shows that the environmental benefits of smart growth are real and can be measured. It compares two neighborhoods in Nashville, Tennessee, and demonstrates that the combination of better transportation accessibility and a modest increase in land-use density can produce measurable benefits even when both sites are automobile-oriented and suburban in character.