By 2050, the population of the United States is expected to grow to 430 million, a 40 percent increase over current levels. Consequently, in less than 50 years, we will need to build half-again as much housing and as much commercial development and infrastructure as we have over the past two centuries.

Where is all of this new growth going to go? What will it be like to live amongst it all? What will it look like? How will it all fit together? These are the questions that planners, developers, and smart growth advocates everywhere are grappling with. Since redevelopment of underutilized urban and inner ring suburban land will only be able to accommodate a portion of this new growth and because greenfields are a nonrenewable resource, the challenge will be accommodating growth in the most efficient way possible.

This course briefing book will take a closer look at growth and development trends facing the nation and the southwest. It will examine the trend toward developing greenfields and suggest how this type of new growth can use land and other natural resources most efficiently. Arizona, the second fastest growing state in the country, has implemented a number of strategies on the state and local levels to grow smarter. These efforts are relatively new and their effectiveness has yet to be proven. Using the Houghton area, an area slated for new development outside of Tucson, you and your team will examine how new developments at the fringe can fit sustainably into the fragile southwestern landscape.