As population has grown by 33 percent in the suburbs and decreased by 25 percent in urban areas, suburban schools have become crowded. The state and towns must fund new schools in the suburbs while neighborhood schools in urban areas fight to stay open amid dwindling enrollments. The downside is also manifested in the amount of money it takes to extend services and protection to far-flung residents. But that makes it a lot less efficient to deliver support services like fire, police and water. Land Use as a Regional Issue Smart growth proponents agree on the need for comprehensive planning on a regional basis.
Towns are really in a reactive mode, and there's no mechanism for encouraging cooperative efforts.
In the less populated areas of the state, he believes local planning is fine. A new development or shopping center in one town has an inevitable effect on the road wear, pollution and traffic patterns of neighboring towns. The great irony is seen when a large housing or retail development rewards one town with tax revenues while the neighboring town handles the resulting potholes and increased traffic flow without endowment. Of course not. They look at the regional labor supply, retail markets and transportation.