An Opportunity for Truly Smart Growth in Virginia

Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D), in his first address to the General Assembly, this week proposed controls on growth and development in the commonwealth. To slow urban sprawl and relieve traffic congestion, the new governor intends to introduce legislation that, for the first time in Virginia, would empower county and municipal governments to block residential development if transportation network capacity is deemed inadequate.

Many landowners and home builders in Virginia, a strong property-rights state, consider this proposed policy radical, perhaps even immoral. But many residents welcome it. In fact, although the legislative aims reflect worthwhile intentions, they seem overly reactive and insufficiently proactive. The risk is that they will end up stifling rather than shaping growth.

Kaine's proposal would require developers to submit traffic impact analyses when they seek rezoning. New measures also would include bolstering state oversight and management of transportation planning and spending.

The governor was on the money when he spoke about initiatives to "better link land use and transportation planning," initiatives that would not "allow uncoordinated development to overwhelm our roads and infrastructure."

"Over the long term," Kaine told the General Assembly, "the most important single change we can make is to reform the way we plan at both state and local levels." He added, "Our current system, in which local governments make land-use decisions and the state follows behind with transportation planning and funding, creates a situation where the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing."

This is potentially good news. Growth management -- call it smart growth -- undertaken jointly by state and local governments is long overdue, especially in Northern Virginia.

The bad news is that, while the governor's diagnosis is generally correct, his solution focuses too much on what not to do. The language about development and growth is not about wisely directing it, but rather about slowing it, curbing it, even halting it.

In advocating more investment in transportation projects, especially adding lanes or building new roads, the governor has missed the opportunity to tie transportation investments much more explicitly to state, county and municipal land-use policies and practices.

Why not do more than just curtail growth and widen roads? Experience has shown that the former drives up housing prices while the latter may relieve traffic problems only temporarily.

Why not undertake statewide initiatives that will genuinely promote managed growth, that mandate comprehensive, integrated land-use and transportation planning at both local and regional levels?

Unlike Maryland, where the state charter grants substantial governmental autonomy to local jurisdictions, Virginia retains considerable authority over localities, more strictly limiting the regulatory powers of counties and municipalities.

But this presents Kaine with a special opportunity. Under its constitution, Virginia could adopt the kind of bold legislation required to achieve what the governor cited as the most important and necessary change: planning reform at both state and local levels, linking land use and transportation planning.