How Important is urban land use

planning? BRIANNA BECKFORD

3RD PERIOD

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

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

ZoningZoning: parcels of land are designated for certain usesCan be used to control growth and protect areas from

certain types of developmentUsed in some countries to encourage high-density

development along major mass transit corridors to reduce automobile use and air pollution

Examples:1. Portland, Oregon2. Curitiba, Brazil

Disadvantages of ZoningDevelopers 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

Smart GrowthOne way to encourage more environmentally

sustainable developmentUses zoning laws and other tools to channel growth

into areas where it will cause less harmReduces the dependence on carsProtects ecologically sensitive and important lands

and waterwaysCuts wasteful resource use

Figure 22-16

Greenest cities in the United States1. Portland, Oregon2. San Francisco, California3. Boston, Massachusetts4. Oakland, California5. Eugene, Oregon6. Cambridge, Massachusetts7. Berkeley, California8. Chicago, Illinois9. Austin, Texas10. Minneapolis, Minnesota

Portland, OregonSince 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 walkwaysEmployers are encouraged to give their employees bus passes instead

of providing parking spaces

ChinaTaken the strongest stand of any country against urban sprawlThe government has designated 80% of the country’s arable land as

fundamental landBuilding on fundamental land requires approval from local and

provincial governments and from the State CouncilIf you violate the rules the penalty is death

EuropeImposed high gasoline taxes to discourage car useEncourage people to live closer to workplaces and shopsHigh taxes on heating fuel to encourage people to live in apartments

and small housesTax revenue earned from gasoline and heating fuel are used to make

transit systems within and between cities

Preserving and Using Open Space

Urban growth boundary: draw an urban growth line around each community and prevent urban development outside the boundariesUsed by:

1. Oregon2. Washington (exception of Seattle)3. 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

Urban ParksNew York City:Central Park

San Francisco, California:Golden Gate Park

Chicago, Illinois:Grant Park