Smart growth is an urban planning and transportation theory that concentrates growth in compact walkable urban centers to avoid sprawl . It also advocates compact, transit-oriented , walkable , bicycle-friendly land use, including neighborhood schools, complete streets , and mixed-use development with a range of housing choices. The term "smart growth" is particularly used in North America. In Europe and particularly the UK, the terms " compact city ", " urban densification " or "urban intensification" have often been used to describe similar concepts, which have influenced government planning policies in the UK, the Netherlands and several other European countries.