Urban Growth

The “Grow or Die” Myth – an Illusion of Prosperity

• The vast majority of U.S. communities compete with one another for job recruitment and the in-migration which follows job growth. This is driven by belief in the “Grow or Die” myth.
• Growth boosters (economic development organizations, chambers of commerce, developers and homebuilders) perpetuate the myth.
• Evidence suggests these communities are caught in a vicious circle. The growth they court results in numerous externalized costs. The inevitable result is tax increases, service level declines, and infrastructure backlogs.
• More effective, less destructive approaches to healthy local economies focus on cultivating success for local businesses, increasing efficiency and reducing waste.

For More Information

• Controlling Growth in Our Communities
• Sprawl City
• Grappling With Growth (Rocky Mountain Institute)
• Report Card for America’s Infrastructure (American Society of Civil Engineers)
• E.F. Schumacher Society
• Business Alliance for Local Living Economies
• Economic Localization (Redefining Progress)
• Institute for Local Self-Reliance
• Is Growth Unstoppable?

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