ADS have ecological, quality-of-life and financial benefits that will help bring decision-makers and developers on side. Smart growth supporters can promote ADS in several ways:

• as prospective homebuyers – if developers perceive a market for green development their construction efforts will reflect this influence
• lobbying municipal politicians and staff to adopt policies to establish ADS
• acknowledging public servants for taking ‘smart’ risks that produce community benefits
• researching and promoting ‘best practice’ examples from other jurisdictions
• actively participating at planning department meetings, design charrettes (intensive workshops where people work in teams to produce design solutions to urban issues) and municipal and regional council meetings armed with examples and statistics and prepared to speak up