The Twin Cities region is growing and changing fast. The question before us is not whether we will grow. That's a given. Our edge in th is competition is the vitality of our economy, the soundness of our infrastructure, the quality of our workforce, the health of our environment, the quality and abundance of our farmland and natural resources and the attractiveness of our communities. That's why smart growth is at the very core of the Council's work.
Smart growth is about helping communities prosper as our region heads into the new economy.
It's about choosing the kind of communities we want - rather than simply accepting the kind of communities we get. And it's about saving taxpayer dollars by maximizing the investment in infrastructure and services we've already made. In fact, smart growth initiatives are bubbling up in communities throughout the region, efforts strongly supported by the Council. City by city, we're growing smarter. Smart growth initiatives throughout the Twin Cities area are moving the region forward and shifting the discussion to issues that have a promising outcome.