Book excerpt: This book delves into the urban planning theory of “smart growth” to encourage the creation of smart cities, where compact urban spaces are optimized to create transit-oriented, pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly areas, with a clear focus on developing a sustainable, humanistic transport system. Over the last century, increased demographic changes and use of motor vehicles in the wake of “urbanization” led to the rapid expansion of cities, giving rise to economic, social and environmental problems. Sprawls and extension into natural areas caused a scattered urban context replete with empty spaces. This book provides an effective solution to this with an overview of the historical application of smart growth principles as a response to the issue of sprawling cityscapes, and sheds light on the theoretical information and methodologies used by cities to re-develop the urban landscape. It also encloses a checklist for practitioners and decision makers to inform the developmental process and integrate smart growth strategies into land use planning. This book effectively engages with the global problem of urban sprawl in cities and hence will be an asset to both urban planning professionals, and graduate and postgraduate students of urban studies and the related disciplines.