Provision of goods and services that do not generate a profit becomes a public responsibility that is often starved for funding. Controlling Growth, Planning Development Local governments do have avenues open to them to become direct actors in their development process. Controlling growth is one such avenue. Few people have difficulty thinking of reasons why at least some forms of economic growth should be controlled in their community. A distinction must be made between economic growth and economic development.
Growth implies more of the same.
Development implies changing relationships between people and their environment, changing institutions, and even changing the criteria for what is considered good or bad in life. Communities must become more innovative about development at an earlier stage of growth. Zoning, greenbelts, and impact fees are all used by local governments to constrain growth. Grassroots initiatives, e.g. attempts to keep WalMart or a mall from locating in a community, are in the news weekly. The point is to be proactive, to plan for the future so that growth can be channeled to the greatest community benefit.