Design & Public Health
A well-designed community - one that is attractive, compact, and provides opportunities for walking and bicycling - will encourage physical activity. As a result, good design can be an important tool in combating our nation's epidemic levels of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.

Design & Transportation
Design strongly influences transportation choices. An appropriately designed physical environment will encourage walking, bicycling and the use of public transit, whereas a barren environment will discourage these modes of transportation and increase auto-dependence.

Design, Environmental Protection, & Water Resources
The design of our buildings and communities should respect and preserve our natural spaces, working in concert with the natural environment. Well-designed communities consume less land, encourage pedestrianism and transit use, and produce less pollution. The design of quality places also incorporates features and amenities that minimize environmental impacts on water quality caused by storm water runoff and erosion, and on air quality caused by motor vehicle traffic.

Design & Energy
The design of buildings and properties maximizes the efficient use of environmental and economic resources by minimizing energy, water and material use.

Design & Open Space
A quality place preserves major natural features in a neighborhood or a community (streams, slopes and natural habitats) as open space, and links those resources to public places by pedestrian and bike paths. Well-designed neighborhoods also provide residents with easy access to either natural or man-made green spaces - from small playgrounds to community parks to wildlife preserves.

Design & Housing
The design and location of housing - the proximity to jobs, services, schools, and transit - has a significant impact on the cost of living and affordability of that house to its residents. The design of the house itself also has an effect on the cost of living - long lasting building materials and energy-efficient lighting, heating, cooling, and appliances all factor into the cost of living in that home.

Design & Historic Preservation
Appropriate design of new and existing developments can preserve and protect the history, culture, character, and architectural tradition of an area.

Design & Real Estate Values
Property located in well-designed, attractive communities that foster a sense of place is consistently more valuable in the real estate market.

• NJ Department of Community Affairs, Office of Smart Growth: www.nj.gov/dca/osg/resources/design.html
• "Designing New Jersey" handbook, by the NJ Dept. of Community Affairs: www.nj.gov/dca/osg/docs/designingnj060100.pdf
• Mayor's Institute on City Design: www.rpa.org/pdf/mayorsinstitute.pdf The NJ Office of Smart Growth and the Regional Plan Association's community design education program to New Jersey mayors.
• Project for Public Spaces: www.pps.org/ PPS is a nonprofit technical assistance, research and educational organization. Their mission - to create and sustain public places that build communities - is achieved through programs in parks, plazas and central squares; transportation; public buildings and architecture and public markets.
• Scenic America's Community Design recommendations: www.scenic.org/community.htm
• Creating Quality Places: Successful Communities By Design: www.qualityplaces.marc.org/ This is a program of the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) to encourage alternative design practices throughout the Kansas City area.