It mixes uses , combining many activities, including commercial, retail, education and recreation, with housing. This allows people to take care of many daily needs without driving and creates a lively and safe environment in the community. It encourages transportation choices. By providing a range of transportation choices, smart development reduces dependence on the automobile, hereby protecting air quality, and minimizing future expenditures on road construction and maintenance. It uses land and resources efficiently.
Smart development is compact and re-uses existing sites and buildings wherever possible.
By using land efficiently, smart development minimizes infrastructure development and maintenance costs for communities, as well as land development costs for developers. It creates affordable housing. Providing good quality affordable housing throughout the community helps to prevent the concentration of lower income residents in one area and allows workers to live close to jobs. It preserves valuable open space. It attracts people .