Among the benefits of conservation development: Reduced capital costs (less need for new infrastructure); lower risk of environmental hazards, including flooding and water pollution; a healthier lifestyle due to a living environment that encourages physical activity; better land stewardship; market differentiation; potential for positive publicity; higher perceived value and quality; and the satisfaction of doing the right thing.

To clarify misperceptions about conservation development is and what it is not, McMahon explains that it is:

• Not a panacea, in that it is not appropriate in every setting or on every site
  
• Not inherently altruistic, in that the pursuit of conservation development may be driven primarily by profit motives
  
• Not a tool for stopping growth, because it is, ultimately a tool to guide development
  
• Not cluster development, because cluster development -- while concentrating uses ?EUR??,,????'?????<
• Not green building, in that it focuses more on how land is used, rather than energy efficiency and environmentally sensitive materials (although green building often occurs in conservation communities)
  
• Not elitist, in that the same design principles can be applied to moderately-priced communities as well as more affluent ones
  
• Not low density ?EUR??,,????'?????<
• Not golf course communities; in fact, the book notes, ?EUR??,,????'?????<