Empire State Future is a coalition of 43 organizations working to revitalize New York’s main streets, town centers, and urban areas. Our top priority is to link Smart Growth principles to the far-reaching land use and development decisions that are made every day. Smart Growth can help restore prosperity and maintain our quality-of-life in New York by building a healthy economy. Smart Growth entails offering real choices in transportation, housing, and employment, while respecting farmland, open space, and natural and historic resources.
Empire State Future (ESF) supports the widespread use of Smart Growth values in order to:
- Advance sustainable and equitable growth across New York State
- Restore prosperity and reduce poverty by reinvesting in existing population centers
- Promote development organized around public transportation and pedestrian circulation in mixed-use and mixed-income urban, suburban, and rural centers
- Discourage urban sprawl and low-density, automobile-based development
- Build affordable, accessible housing for the full range of residents, especially in expanding areas
- Strengthen rural economies by protecting open space, farmland, and water supplies
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy demand