Smart Growth in Canada's Provincial North

Smart growth promotes urban sustainability by encouraging increased densities, mixed use, walkable design, and access to diverse transportation and housing options. This study applies literature-derived indicators to examine urban change in the city of Prince George; British Columbia's northern capital. Findings illustrate that key growth nodes have largely performed (e.g., densified) at or below the level of their surrounding neighbourhood over time despite a robust set of policy tools associated with smart growth. This research is one of few to examine smart growth in a northern urban context, and situates the concept within the slow growth/no growth realities of many rural and remote regions.