No discussion of Smart Growth can be complete without a companion discussion about the infrastructure needs and costs associated with development. The fundamental question is whether infrastructure expenditures for water and sewer lines, public schools and other projects are supporting the state's broader Smart Growth effort.

Whenever or wherever development occurs, a certain amount of infrastructure to support the development is required. Roads should be sufficient to handle the traffic generated by new development. Infrastructure for drinking water and wastewater-either public water and sewer systems or private wells and septic systems-must be put in place. New residential development often means that new or larger schools will be needed, or that new fire, police, rescue or sanitation services will be required.

Development carries a variety of costs that are ultimately borne by all taxpayers. The location of development can have a direct effect on the need for and cost of infrastructure. For example, new development far from city centers may require the extension of new highways, the building of new police and fire stations, the expansion of rescue or sanitation services, and/or the building of new sewer and water lines or the expansion of wastewater treatment plants.

Smart Growth advocates encourage development (and redevelopment) within existing communities where infrastructure and services already exist. But often the existing infrastructure and services are outdated or insufficient to support new development and must be upgraded. If development occurs on virgin land far from city or town centers, then entirely new infrastructure often must be built to support the new development. It is important, therefore, to assess how much infrastructure is being built, where it is being built, and at what cost it is being built.