Exploring the Contribution of State and Local-level Conditions to the Adoption of Different Types of Smart Growth Policies and Impact Fees in the United States

This research identifies some of the state and local conditions promoting the adoption of three types of smart growth policies and two types of impact fees in the United States. Factor analysis is used to identify three types of smart growth policies: 1. policies to concentrate new growth, 2. policies to exchange development rights and 3. policies to redevelop the inner city. The two types of impact fees are: development-based and community-based. Conditions at both the state and local level predict the adoption of smart growth policies. Only conditions at the state level predict the adoption of the community-based impact fees. The findings suggest that future research on the impact of population growth on growth regulation contain measures of both local and state level growth. They also suggest smart growth be viewed as multi-dimensional, as cities adopt different types of policies, rather than the complete set of policies, for economic as well as environmental reasons. Last, more research is needed on the role of local environmentalist organizations, whose role in local policy adoption was significant.