Sprawling suburban development isn’t just bad for the environment, physical health and quality of life; it’s also bad for the budget. Significant portions of municipal budgets are affected by the geographic pattern of development, including street construction and maintenance, water and sewer infrastructure, fire protection and police services, and school transportation. Local governments spend more, both for upfront capital costs and ongoing operations, to provide services to their citizens when residences, civic functions, and places of commerce are dispersed far and wide by car-only development patterns. This session will present results of new research, including new analytic tools developed by Smart Growth America, and discussion with local government experts about how land-use factors drive costs and impact revenues. It will help participants better understand the connection between land use policy and local budgets and taxes, and provide insights to help them make the fiscal case for smart growth.