Smart Growth Awards
In 2006, Smart Growth Vermont organized the first annual Smart Growth Awards and Art Gibb Award Ceremony. This event honors projects, initiatives, and plans anywhere in the state of Vermont that demonstrate smart growth principles in action. “Smart growth” refers to an approach to land use that revitalizes neighborhoods, protects farmland and open space, keeps housing affordable, and provides more transportation choices.
In 2007, after another successful Smart Growth Awards event, it was decided that the event should take place bi-annually, with the exception of the Arthur Gibb Award for Individual Leadership, which will continue annually.
View past Award Recipients:
Examples of projects and their links to smart growth can also be found in our Smart Growth in Vermont publications.
Background
Redevelopment, infill and historic preservation projects are key to ensuring that our downtowns and villages remain active places where businesses want to locate and people want to live and visit. These projects also help to reduce the pressure on our rural lands. Unfortunately, these types of projects are often more expensive and difficult than developing in a greenfield in the countryside.
In order to showcase the leadership, creativity and partnerships that have resulted in successful smart growth projects throughout the state, we established our annual Smart Growth Awards. These annual awards showcase how community leaders, the public and private sectors, and neighborhoods have collaborated to create housing, strengthen local businesses and preserve farm and forestlands.
Criteria for Selecting Smart Growth Award Winners
A selection committee comprised of architects, developers, planners, state officials, and citizens meet to review nominated projects and plans, and select those that best exemplify smart growth principles. To receive award, projects and plans must meet five of the following eight smart growth criteria. The plan or project shall:
- Be located in an area appropriate for growth or revitalization, preferably within an existing settlement presently served by infrastructure;
- Support a mix of uses, and be well integrated into the existing community fabric;
- Create or enhance transportation options to enable safe and effective pedestrian, bicycle and public transportation access;
- Have sufficient density and scale to support a range of available housing options;
- Promote adaptive reuse, redevelopment or infill; and
- Protect and conserve working farms, forests or the natural environment.