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January 2004

NCARB's Newest Monograph Explores Smart Growth

Washington, DC—The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards is pleased to announce the recent release of Getting to Smart Growth: 100 Policies for Implementation, the fifteenth title in its health, safety, and welfare-enriched monograph series.

Developed by the Smart Growth Network and the International City/County Management Association, working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Getting to Smart Growth is a comprehensive introduction to this unique development approach. Ten principles characterizing the successful implementation of smart growth tenets serve as chapter headings. Each principle is then linked to 10 specific smart growth tools and policies. All chapters also offer “practice tips,” which detail local, state, and federal smart growth programs and initiatives.

Among the 10 included principles are: mixing land uses; taking advantage of compact building design; creating walkable communities; and crafting distinctive, attractive communities with a strong sense of place. The authors provide a pragmatic approach to smart growth, explaining, “Perhaps most critical to successfully achieving smart growth is realizing that no one policy or approach will transform a community.” Thus, the monograph’s compendium of practical approaches can be integrated into many different development scenarios.

Getting to Smart Growth sells for $85 (current NCARB Record holders) and $135 (all other purchasers). Those successfully completing the GSG quiz will earn 6 professional development units in health, safety, and welfare. All monograph quizzes may now be taken online through the NCARB web site—an added convenience that eliminates processing time and provides test takers with immediate results and a printable certificate of completion.

The NCARB monograph series was created in 1993 in order to address the increasing need for continuing education and professional development verification focusing on health, safety, and welfare issues. In addition to Getting to Smart Growth, the following titles are currently available: Cracking the Codes, Design Within a Community Context, Energy-Conscious Architecture, Fire Safety in Buildings, Improving Building Performance, Indoor Environment, Low-Slope Roofing I, the award-winning Low-Slope Roofing II, Professional Conduct, Seismic Mitigation, Subsurface Conditions, Sustainable Design, Why Buildings Fail, and Wind Forces.

Future monographs will explore topics such as the building envelope, crime prevention in the context of design, building security, and mold.

NCARB monographs are a portable and economical professional development resource that investigate subject matter of interest to practicing architects and allied design professionals. All U.S. jurisdictions accept PDP monographs for compliance with state continuing education/professional development requirements. To order an NCARB monograph, visit the publications section of the Council web site.