Where and how we build our communities is critical to increasing our quality of life, boosting equity, and protecting the environment. Smart growth promotes dense development in our cities, towns, and more compact neighborhoods in order to foster walkable, mixed-use, transit-accessible communities. By encouraging housing close to jobs, retail, and services and promoting streets designed for safe walking and biking we can help Virginians reduce their driving and the resultant pollution. Compact, well-connected communities also protect our natural and historic resources from sprawl, and remove car ownership as a financial burden and societal barrier. Current state policies too often fuel car-centric development, but reforming those policies to promote smart growth will bring environmental, health, and economic benefits to all Virginians.