Communication and learning also occur through local radio broadcasts, meetings of civic groups, public forums, computer networks and local newspapers. Sustainable communities continually look for ways to improve communication and learning. Seek to develop and not just grow. Growth measures the increase in economic activity in the short term, regardless of whether this activity makes things better or worse for people over the long term. Sustainable development leads to improvements in the quality of peoples' lives from one generation to the next.
Communities can have a healthy economy without growth.
But in some communities, growth is necessary to meet community needs and improve the quality of life for everyone. Too much growth can erode the quality of life and the environment, or improve things for only a select few. Since space and resources are limited, there is a point at which growth no longer contributes to a community's well-being. A sustainable community learns to recognize whether growth is beneficial and, when it is not, to focus on other long-term ways of improving the economy.