Land Use
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Overview
Land use policy necessarily touches on every aspect of local government concern. Sustainable land use planning involves decisions on crosscutting and multi-layered issues that affect air quality, water quality, access to transportation options, economic vitality, and quality of life. It is critical to promote the creation and development of communities containing an array of types and uses of buildings and spaces to meet the diverse needs of residents’ daily lives.
- Residential Zones
- Commercial Zones
- Civic Zones
- Industrial Zones
- Open Space Zones
- Agricultural Land Zones
- Air Pollution
- Water Pollution
- Land Consumption
- Transportation Choices
- Limited Connectivity
- Mixed-Use Development
Sustainability Principles associated with Land Use include:
- Open Space
- Sustainable Water Sources
- Walkability and Connectivity
- Integration of Diverse Community Features
- Strong Sense of Place
- Sustainable Urbanism
- Integrating Land Use & Transportation Decision-making
- Regional Planning Approach
According to the Natural Resources Institute (NRI), urbanized land in the United States increased by 13 million acres (26 percent) between 1982-1992, and by 19 million acres (33 percent) between 1992-2001. As cities grew, dependence on motorized vehicles increased, as did air pollution, traffic congestion, longer commute times and lack of access to goods and services. An average suburban family consumes more energy on transportation than in their homes (Figure 2).
Behavior is beginning to shift. More and more people are moving back into city cores that offer pedestrian-friendly environments and a range of transportation options. As cities reemerge as live-work-play centers, it is imperative that we integrate sustainability principles that promote complete neighborhoods for all citizens. When this is achieved, current and future generations have much to gain economically, socially and environmentally.
Land use was once considered a local environmentalissue, but it is now recognized as a force of global importance. In the course of providing food, water and shelterfor more than six billion people worldwide, we inflicted significant damage to the planet's forests, farmlands, waterways and air (Figure 1). According to World Wildlife Fund (WWF) International's Director-General James Leape, the earth's regenerative capacity can no longer keep up with demand — people are turning resources into waste faster than nature can turn waste back into resources. Our challenge today is to manage trade-offs between immediate human needs and the long-term ability of the planet to provide for future generations.
