Rural Smart Growth?

I thought that the idea of Smart Growth was that people wouldn't be so dispersed that they use up valuable resources just getting to work. Homes are built near jobs on smaller lots in subdivisions (used to be called neighborhoods) that provided basic businesses and parks in the building up of community.

Apparently I was wrong. The small towns 10 miles from Rockford are supposed to be promoting Smart Growth, according to their residents. Um...if you really went for Smart Growth, you most likely wouldn't live there in the first place. Ahh...but now its convenient to ask for it...

I just don't get it.