How Important is urban land use planning?

1. How Important is urban land use planning? Brianna Beckford 3rd period

2. Concept 22-4 Urban land-use planning can help to reduce uncontrolled sprawl and slow the resulting degradation of air, water, land, biodiversity, and other natural resources

3. Conventional Land-Use Planning • Most urban and some rural areas use some form of land-use planning to determine the best present and future use of each parcel of land • Land-use planning encourages future population growth and economic development but leads to uncontrolled/poorly controlled urban growth

4. Zoning • Zoning: parcels of land are designated for certain uses • Can be used to control growth and protect areas from certain types of development • Used in some countries to encourage high-density development along major mass transit corridors to reduce automobile use and air pollution • Examples: • Portland, Oregon • Curitiba, Brazil

5. Disadvantages of Zoning • Developers often modify zoning decisions in ways that can threaten or destroy wetlands, prime cropland, forested areas, and open space • Zoning often favors high-priced housing, factories, hotels, and other businesses over protecting environmentally sensitive areas and low-cost housing • Overly strict zoning discourages innovative approaches to solving urban problems

6. Smart Growth • One way to encourage more environmentally sustainable development • Uses zoning laws and other tools to channel growth into areas where it will cause less harm • Reduces the dependence on cars • Protects ecologically sensitive and important lands and waterways • Cuts wasteful resource use

7. Figure 22-16

8. Greenest cities in the United States • Portland, Oregon • San Francisco, California • Boston, Massachusetts • Oakland, California • Eugene, Oregon • Cambridge, Massachusetts • Berkeley, California • Chicago, Illinois • Austin, Texas • Minneapolis, Minnesota

9. Portland, Oregon • Since 1975, Portland’s air pollution has decreased by 86% and population has grown by about 50%, but its urban area has increased by only 2% • The city built a light-rail and bus system that carries 45% of all commuters to downtown jobs • By reducing traffic, Portland was able to convert an expressway and huge parking lot into a waterfront park • Portland has also developed a network of bike lanes and walkways • Employers are encouraged to give their employees bus passes instead of providing parking spaces

10. China • Taken the strongest stand of any country against urban sprawl • The government has designated 80% of the country’s arable land as fundamental land • Building on fundamental land requires approval from local and provincial governments and from the State Council • If you violate the rules the penalty is death

11. Europe • Imposed high gasoline taxes to discourage car use • Encourage people to live closer to workplaces and shops • High taxes on heating fuel to encourage people to live in apartments and small houses • Tax revenue earned from gasoline and heating fuel are used to make transit systems within and between cities

12. Preserving and Using Open Space • Urban growth boundary: draw an urban growth line around each community and prevent urban development outside the boundaries • Used by: • Oregon • Washington (exception of Seattle) • Tennessee • Preserving blocks of open space with parks • Greenbelt: an open area reserved for recreation, sustainable forestry, and other nondestructive activities • Provides ecological services such as absorption of CO2 and other air pollutants

13. Urban Parks San Francisco, California: Golden Gate Park Chicago, Illinois: Grant Park New York City: Central Park