Power of Place Summit II slated for May 2, 2008 at Rhode Island Convention Center
Call for Workshop Proposals
 Grow Smart's inaugural Power of Place Summit in 2006 drew nearly 500 people and helped to launch Rhode Island's new state land-use plan, Land Use 2025. There are now encouraging examples all across Rhode Island that some of the plan's strategies and recommendations are being embraced and implemented to the benefit of our communities, neighborhoods and future generations. Yet other key plan objectives such as reducing our state's over-reliance on the local property tax, better integrating our transportation system with desired development goals and targeting more of our state investment dollars to energy efficient urban, town and village centers, remain daunting challenges keeping us from reaching our full potential.
Next May we'll reconvene citizen planners, state and local officials, builders and developers as well as architects, engineers, community stakeholders and nonprofit groups for a closer look at how the growth and development choices we make today will impact our economy, quality places, public health, environment, the efficiency of state and local government and the taxes we pay.
Click here to see last year's program
including workshop session notes
Click here to see who participated
(Type the password "smart" when prompted)
View results of a post Summit Survey
Wolf Op/Ed: Time to play to Rhode Island's strengths and stop beating ourselves up
 Published in the 12/7 edition of the Providence Journal, column aims to highlight Rhode Island's many underreported assets and untapped potential
Defying the drumbeat of negative headlines about everything from budget deficits and political corruption to having a bad business climate and balkanized local government, Grow Smart Executive Director Scott Wolf offers a more optimistic point of view about the future of our dynamic, beloved and quirky state. Apparently, many other forward-thinking people agree. The response from community leaders and other concerned citizens has been overwhelmingly positive. The extensive Op/Ed puts Rhode Island's current problems in perspective by juxtaposing them with our many strengths and urges our state and local leaders to capitalize more aggressively on these strengths to advance a path to sustainable prosperity. Click HERE to read the Op/Ed in its entirety.
Updated Studies Confirm Historic Tax Credit’s Multiple Benefits
Citing the Tax Credit’s expansion to 23 communities and projected stimulation of nearly $ 2.5 billion in economic activity within Rhode Island, Grow Smart concludes that the program is the single best economic development and neighborhood revitalization tool in decades.
 Download the full report(pdf)
News Coverage
- Tax credit program paying off say its supporters - 9/24
- PBN Editorial:Successful? Yes, but not beyond question - 9/24
- Supporters make case for Historic Tax Credits -9/18
According to new studies released September 17, 2007 by Grow Smart Rhode Island on behalf of the 57-member Coalition for Neighborhood & Economic Renewal (CNER), the Rhode Island Historic Preservation Investment Tax Credit Program is generating thousands of jobs, nearly $2.5 billion in economic activity, more than $400 million dollars in additional tax revenues over the next 20 years for state and local government combined, several thousand new housing opportunities including more than 750 subsidized affordable units and the cleanup of dozens of environmentally contaminated sites, often known as brownfields. Most of these findings are contained in a study performed by the real estate consulting and investment firm of Lipman, Frizzell and Mitchell (LF&M) of Columbia, Maryland. This study represents an update of a similar study conducted by the same firm that was released in March of 2005.
The current research is based on 277 projects enrolled in the program through June, 2007 representing a combined investment of $1.53 billion in qualified historic rehabilitation expenditures. Also being released today are studies compiled directly by Grow Smart on the extent of brownfield cleanup associated with tax credit investments and the recent changes other states have made in their approach to state historic tax credits.
The LF&M study concludes that the state’s multi-year investment in the tax credit, estimated at $460.16 million through the year 2012, will generate a total of $2.46 billion in economic activity. Put another way, each $1 of state tax credit investment is leveraging $5.35 in total economic output. Additionally, the program is estimated to add $766.9 million to the tax base of local communities, and to generate over the next 20 years $297.60 million in additional property tax revenue.
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Grow Smart launches 'Smart Growth Case Studies' series to help illustrate principles, benefits
Hearing about how smart growth can revitalize centers, conserve open space and protect the environment is one thing. Seeing how it actually works in real life is something altogether different.
That's why with several innovative projects now in the ground, Grow Smart decided to begin showcasing examples of how these projects came together and how smart growth can fit into our neighborhoods.
Click HERE to browse the first of many future case studies.
Land Use 2025: Rhode's Island's blueprint for sustainable prosperity
 Land Use 2025
Where are we headed as a state?
Where do we want to be in 20 years?
How do we get there?
These are some of the questions addressed in Land Use 2025, the new State Land Use Plan that was adopted on April 13, 2006. The Statewide Planning Program presents the third generation of the state's official land use plan. This cornerstone of the State Guide Plan builds upon the prior two editions, employs the state's extensive GIS database, and reflects 15 years of experience with the state-local comprehensive planning process.
Smart Growth in the news
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Grow Smart Rhode Island is a statewide 501 (c)(3) public interest group representing a broad coalition of partners fighting sprawl by promoting innovative policies and programs to revitalize city and town centers, preserve cultural and natural resources and expand economic opportunities throughout Rhode Island.
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