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Growth Management

UDP 450

Oct 16, 2007

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Chinitz

Chinitz, Benjamin (1990), “Growth Management: Good for the Town, Bad for the Nation?” Journal of the American Planning Association 56(1), 3-8.

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Growth ManagementChinitz

Is the growth management debate an example of "fallacy of composition" in land use policy?: - What is good for the community is

not necessarily good for the nation.

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Growth and the Environment Although growth can be defined as "the

expansion of developed space." (Chinitz, p.3), it should include employment and income growth as well as population growth.

The manifestations of local economic growth -- higher demands for housing, jobs, services, etc. -- lead inevitably to land absorption and natural resource exploitation.

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"Unmanaged" growth may produce environmental stress. The question is what do we mean by "unmanaged growth"?

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Examples of unmanaged growth:

USING THE WRONG LAND: development in wetlands

USING LAND THE WRONG WAY: automobile-dependent urban sprawl Building homes, day care centers, etc.

next to freeways

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Environmental Problems at the Local Level Primarily the environmental consequences

of development projects: traffic, parking, visual settings, quality and quantity of water supply, neighborhood open space, air pollution, hazardous waste disposal, wetlands management, water pollution.

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Who Makes Land Policy?

Land policy aimed at modifying "market-driven" land use choices to reduce negative environmental consequences of growth is the product of actions at the local, state, and federal level from zoning, developer impact fees and growth management ballot initiatives (local), to statewide land use legislation such as in Oregon and Florida (state), to environmental laws that affect land use, such as the Clean Air Acts and the Endangered Species Act (federal)

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Local Governments (Communes)

State Agencies &Provinces (Departments )

Central government

Power Structure of Land Use Decisions in France

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Federal government

State governments

Local/regional governments

Power Structure of Land Use Decisions in the U. S.

GMA States

Citizen participation

-CAA, CWA, ESA & BLM

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Competition not Cooperation Local government land use regulations are

frequently "beggar-my-neighbor" policies, trying to pass on growth problems to other nearby communities.

But communities should recognize their interdependence (this might be an argument against growth management or in favor of State-level actions).

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The Rationale for Local Land Use Regulations

Imperfect land markets: Developers do not consider the social

costs and benefits that their activities impose upon others, regarding land use, density, design, and timing of development.

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Difference between Zoning and Growth Management

Zoning is passive and static, while growth management is proactive and dynamic, attempting to balance development and conservation, infrastructure investments and public service needs, etc.

http://clerk.ci.seattle.wa.us/public/zoningmaps/zmapindx.htm

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The growth management issue that raises national environmental concerns is the impact of low-density sprawl on automobile VMT, and the impact of this on human health, global warming, etc.

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Conclusions

Local growth management does not conflict with the pursuit of national and global environmental concerns.

However, "(t)he direct line . . . from growth management to greater automobile usage and its adverse consequences for the environment is fraught with fallacy." [Unfortunately, Chinitz does not elaborate this argument, but we need to evaluate it in detail. It is a core issue in the debate.]

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FISCHEL

Fischel, William A. (1991), “Good for the Town, Bad for the Nation? A Comment,” Journal of the American Planning Association 57(3), 341-4.

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Growth Controls & Sprawl

Key argument: Local growth controls contribute to metropolitan sprawl.

Growth Controls:raise prices of existing houses;lower the price of undeveloped land; increase metro-wide house prices.

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Do developers flee to more distant sites? Probably.

Peiser's defense of leapfrog-with-infill (resulting in higher density development within jurisdictions) ignores the fact that growth controls often preclude any development whatsoever.

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Porter

Porter, D. (1996), "Growth Management: What It is and What It Does" Chapter 1 (pp. 1-18) Profiles in Growth Management. Washington, D.C.: The Urban Land Institute.

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Future Growth Pressure

Urban growth will continue into the next century.

Most Americans, THREE OUT of every four persons, live in urban areas.

The Sunbelt states (CA, FL, TX, WA, NV, etc) grew faster than the snowbelt states.

Suburban growth > Central City growth Pop loss in Pittsburgh, Cleveland, etc.

during the 1980s.

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Growth is Good

economic prosperity better job prospects diversity

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Growth is Bad

Overwhelming unplanned and/or under-prepared growth can lower residents' quality of life: overcrowded schools, road congestion, lack of sewers, fire stations, hospitals, etc., etc.

The gap between people's needs and govt. spending on infrastructure widens

Upsets natural beauty, open space, environmental quality, habitat, etc,

Planning-follows-development vs. Plan-ahead of -development

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Growth should be managed.

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GM is

a dynamic process dealing with constantly changing environments (built and natural)

a political process: reaching out to the community and searching for consensus

a technical process: identifying future needs

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GM is (should be?)

comprehensive planning: adopted policies and programs should be interconnected

sensitive to economic and social concerns: affordable housing, housing assistance, employment opportunities, redevelopment, neighborhood upgrading, etc., etc.