Smart growth is an urban and transportation planning theory developed since the 1990s, which proposes concentrating growth in compact and walkable centers to avoid dispersion. It also encourages high-density land uses, with public transportation and roads suitable for cyclists, including neighborhood schools, complete streets, and mixed-use development with a variety of housing opportunities. It is closely linked to the concepts of Compact City") and urban intensification.

Smart growth values ​​regional and long-term sustainability aspects over short-term approaches. Among its goals is to achieve in the new urban environment a sense of community and place in its inhabitants, and the expansion of the range of transportation, work and housing opportunities, equitably distributing the cost of the benefits of development, preserving and procuring natural and cultural resources, while promoting public health.

The concept of “smart growth” has emerged in the last 10-20 years, driven by the new “guardians”: urban planners, architects, developers, innovative visionaries, community activists and historic preservationists. Smart growth is a term that has already been codified in federal and state regulations in the United States. It has several aspects, but the basic principles are generally similar; being variations of the same concept with different emphases, including:.

In the US there is a recommended decalogue for smart growth[1]​.