Land Use Planning

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• Land Use Planning 
•  1/3 to ½ of world land mass has been changed by
  human activity
• Historical Land Use
• Lands surface is typically considered a
  nonrenewable resource.
•  
• Gaining area of one land use type requires the
  loss of another type.

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• Original major transportation in North America
  was primarily by water.
• Cities built along rivers, lakes, oceans.
• Major cites developed at points where rivers no
  longer navigable.
• Rivers also provided drinking water, waste
  disposal, power and industries needs.
• Availability of other resources also important
• Farmland, minerals, forests, etc
• Industries frequently overtook the river front.
• Farmlands surrounded cities, and were easily
  developed.

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• Cities grew in size
• - workers started migrating from the farms to the
  cities.
• - agricultural efficiency required less workers.
• - many jobs appeared in the cities.
• - immigrants from other countries landed in the
  cities.
• - cities offered cultural, social and artistic
  opportunities not found in rural settings.
• Process still occurring in developing nations

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• Suburbia
• The core of most cities had the industrial
  centers along with the associated pollution and
  high human density.
•  
• Those who could afford it, left the citys core
  areas. (automobiles and roads made this
  possible).
•  
• Transportation, energy and services were more
  costly to provide to suburbs.

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• Agricultural land surrounding city converted to
  housing
• Prices rose because of demand
• Looked further out for cheaper land
• Suburbs moved further out
• More roads needed or expanded
• More roads encouraged process made public
  transportation extremely difficult

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• Problems with urban sprawl 
• - ribbon sprawl
• Commercial/industrial development along roads
  that connect housing to city provide shopping etc
• - tract development
• Construction of similar housing units over large
  areas
• - wealthy suburbs
• Large lot size, more pleasing areas with water,
  hills or forests
• è open space continually lost
•  suburbs from different cities collide
• Megalopolis à Metroplex

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• Farmlands 
• Easy to develop.
• Flat well drained land, close to city with roads 
• If near cities, are attractive for development.
• Proceeding at rapid pace-- 1 million acres/year
• Taxes based often based on highest potential
  use, rather than current use.
• Not necessarily in Texas, but elsewhere
• Financial enticement is still great

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• Floodplains
• Easy to develop, but more expensive.
• Requires certain protections 
• Development causes more flooding downstream.
• Because of protections and runoff
•  Cities restrict floodplain development to
  improve FEMA rating and lower cost of insurance
  to citizens.
• Increase drainage projects to protect those who
  built in floodplain

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• Wetlands
• Value of wetlands was overlooked for a long time.
• Seen as mosquito factories and problems 
• Many were drained, filled in or used as dumps.
• Services provided
• Habitat for fish, waterfowl etc
• Filters for various pollutants
• On coast prevent shoreline erosion

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• Land Use Planning Principles
• An attempt to find best use and least damaging
  use of each parcel of land.
• Data required to make this finding
• - current use
• - geological
• - biological
• - sociological
• Projections made about what human needs will be
• 3 components to successful implementation of a
  landuse development plan

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• 1 Regional Planning 
• Planning with less regard to political
  boundaries.
• Prevent duplication/greater efficiency
• - political and economic pressures attempt to
  undue these plans.
• Local governments still want local control
• - it takes large, well-financed levels of
  government to do effective regional planning.
• Currently voluntary w/o power
• Advisory Role only---NCTCOG

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• Decision on use is made, and implemented via
• 2 - purchasing lands
•  Common governmental approach, as well as several
  conservation groups, but very expensive.
• Simple way to protect areas
• 3 - regulating land use by zoning
•  Zoning agricultural, residential, commercial,
  etc.
• Boards may lack training/have other motives

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• Transportation Planning
• Developing comprehensive urban transportation
  networks.
• - conserve energy/land resources
• - efficient, affordable transportation
• - commuter system
• - reduce pollution
• Cost for maintenance/construction is an issue
  too, but not all comes from local coffers

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• Mass Transituse in N.America has declined since
  1940
•  - need large population
• - less convenient than cars
•  - very expensive
•  - can be crowded and uncomfortable
• As population becomes more affluent, there is
  less desire to have mass transit.
•  Many governments encourage automobiles rather
  than mass transit.

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• Recreational Uses
•  Recreation seems to be a basic human need.
• As children? Fight or Play
•  Vast majority of U.S. citizens live in cities,
  and want some open space to offset crowded living
  conditions.
•  Some cities planned for this desire when laying
  out the city .... others didnt.
•  Private recreational centers, public parks and
  rec. departments, nature centers, outdoor
  activities.
• Under Parks Dept typicallyshould go elsewhere?

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• Redevelopment of Inner City Area
• Inner City abandoned 50 yrs ago
• Business moved out
• Housing quality went down
• have to be provided to revitalize area, but
  benefits are significant
• Brownfields
• Vacant Industrial/Commercial sites
• Perception of contamination
• No one wants to buy problems so stay vacant
• Ongoing work b/w EPA and cities to investigate
  and determine best uses

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• Multiple Land Use
•  Rather than all or none (e.g. highways and
  wilderness areas), multiple uses can be the
  decision
•  è e.g. U.S. Forests 
• habitat
• recreation
• lumbering
• watershed protection
• Some conflicts b/c some uses inconsistent w/ each
  other
• All have rights b/c all tax payers
• Some cases, areas are loved to death