From Growth Controls, to

Comprehensive Planning, to Smart Growth:

Planning’s Emerging Fourth Wave

Dr. Tim Chapin

Department of Urban & Regional Planning

Florida State University

Presentation at the APA National Conference

Los Angeles, California

April 14, 2012

Journal of American Planning Association:

Special Issue on Sprawl and Smart Growth

• From Growth Controls, to Comprehensive Planning, to Smart Growth:

Planning's Emerging Fourth Wave by Timothy S. Chapin

• Can Urban Growth Management Work in an Era of Political and Economic

Change?: International Lessons From Israel by Amnon Frenkel & Daniel E.

Orenstein

• Targeting Spending for Land Conservation: An Evaluation of Maryland's Rural

Legacy Program by Rebecca Lewis & Gerrit-Jan Knaap**

• Where the Jobs Are Going: Job Sprawl in U.S. Metropolitan Regions, 2001–

2006 by Jerry Weitz & Tom Crawford*

• Smart Growth Planning for Climate Protection: Evaluating California's Senate

Bill 375 by Elisa Barbour & Elizabeth A. Deakin**

• Smart Growth's Blind Side: Sustainable Cities Need Productive Urban Industrial

Land by Nancey Green Leigh & Nathanael Z. Hoelzel*

*Presented in a session at 2:30 today

**Presented in a session at 4:00 today

Table of Contents for

JAPA Winter 2012 Issue (Volume 78, Number 1)

Defining Issues

Environmental degradation; Exurban development;

Loss of pristine lands; Development of productive

agricultural lands

The Era of Growth Controls: ~1950-1975

The Approach

Strict regulations to control where growth can and

cannot occur; Specification of the amount of new

development that can be approved within a jurisdiction

Typical Planning Tools

Growth Moratoria

Development Stop Lines (Growth Boundaries)

Rate of Growth Ordinances (ROGOs)

Residential Growth Caps

Emblematic Policy

Urban Growth Boundaries (UGBs)

The Era of Growth Controls: ~1950-1975

Portland Metro Area UGB

UGBs establish a firm “development stop-line”, beyond which

development of any meaningful density and/or intensity is not to occur.

Geographic Scale(s)

Mostly local, with some state activity

Level of Public-Private Partnerships

Almost non-existent

View Towards Growth

Growth is a problem to be addressed by strict regulations of

land uses and the location of new development. Strict

controls can yield desirable development outcomes.

The Era’s Implied Motto

Growth is a problem that requires aggressive

oversight by the public sector.

The Era of Growth Controls: ~1950-1975

Defining Issues

Environmental degradation; Efficient and timely

infrastructure provision; Reducing public sector

costs to provide urban services

The Era of Comp Planning: ~1975-2000

The Approach

Use a local comprehensive plan to establish a vision for a

community, including goals that shape local decisions,

objectives that provide measures to monitor progress, and

detailed policies that work toward these goals and

objectives

Typical Planning Tools

Comp plans Land Development Regulations

Comp plans Capital Improvements Programs

Detailed review processes linked to GOPs in Comp Plans

Emblematic Policy

Urban Service Areas (USAs)

The Era of Comp Planning: ~1975-2000

Palm Beach County, FL Urban Service Area

USAs are boundaries outside of which infrastructure supportive

of urban densities/intensities is not to be provided by the public sector.

Geographic Scale(s)

Active state and local governments, with some regional activity

Level of Public-Private Partnerships

Limited largely to infrastructure provision

View Towards Growth

Growth is a cost to be accounted for through comprehensive

planning and careful management of public resources. Better

management practices should yield more desirable

development outcomes.

The Era’s Implied Motto

Plans, regulations and budgets are the solution to the

problem of growth.

The Era of Comp Planning: ~1975-2000

Defining Issues

Environmental degradation; Infrastructure provision;

Urban economic development; Placemaking

The Era of Smart Growth : ~1999-Present

The Approach

Incentives and public investments are employed to promote

(re)development within urban cores, suburban centers, and

existing towns and villages. There is also attention to

placemaking, streetscape design, and the creation of

vibrant activity centers served by multiple travel modes.

Typical Planning Tools

Tax incentives supportive of SG outcomes

Infrastructure investments to support urban redevelopment

Acquisition and conservation of undeveloped lands

Placemaking initiatives

Emblematic Policy

Priority Funding Areas (PFAs)

The Era of Smart Growth : ~1999-Present

Montgomery County, MD

PFAs represent those areas within which the state focuses its

financial resources. Development is still permitted outside

of these boundaries, but with no state support for infrastructure

investments.

Geographic Scale(s)

Still largely state and local government-led, with a nascent

regionalism (that is still finding its way)

Level of Public-Private Partnerships

Strongly encouraged to support placemaking and urban

economic development

View Towards Growth

Growth is an opportunity for achieving desirable development

outcomes. Targeted investments and tailored incentives can

catalyze urban investment.

The Era’s Implied Motto

Growth is an opportunity for strengthening urban

communities and helping to fix some of the mistakes of

the past.

The Era of Smart Growth: ~1999-Present

A New Era for Growth Management

Policy in the United States?

• While the profession currently remains situated in the Era of Smart Growth, I believe that ongoing changes within the social, political, and economic environments will contribute to the emergence of a new era.

The Great Recession and the Jobs Imperative

Climate Change and Sea Level Rise

Energy Systems and Supplies

The Silver Tsunami (The Baby Boom Generation)

• These issues will push planners to expand their efforts to new policy arenas and will require practitioners to aggressively tear down the institutional and intellectual silos that have limited the effectiveness of growth management efforts in previous eras.

Defining Issues

Environmental Degradation; Infrastructure; Placemaking;

Climate Change; Energy Systems; Aging and Health

The Approach

A combination of incentives and regulations that promote

development outcomes appropriate to urban, suburban, and rural

locations.

Typical Planning Tools

Visioning and Scenario Planning initiatives

Regional Compacts and Partnerships

Even more comprehensive Comprehensive Plans

Expedited Review for Desirable Projects

Emblematic Policy

To Be Determined, but Sector Plans in Florida are a model that

brings principles of sustainable development to places looking to

move beyond a business-as-usual approach

An Era of “Sustainable Growth”

Sector Planning in Florida

• Sector Plans (SPs) are intended to yield a more sustainable

development plan for large landscapes than would otherwise be

achieved through incremental planning decisions made through

the typical development review processes.

• SPs can only be undertaken for areas of at least 15,000 acres in

size, which limits this process to truly large-scale, regionally

significant projects.

• SPs are intended to provide a long-term land use vision and

capital improvements plan for a large area, as well as “detailed

specific area plans” for districts within this larger geography .

• At its core, the SP process is about “big picture” planning, with an

emphasis upon issues of urban form, environmental protection,

and the efficient provision of public facilities and urban services.

Airport

Conservation

Areas

Residential

Areas

Commercial

Areas

Project Specs

• ~71,000 acre property

• ~39,000 acres in conservation

• New airport (now open)

• Up to 27,000 housing units at

buildout

• Up to 37 million sq ft of non-

residential at buildout

Geographic Scale(s)

Regions in ascendancy, with attention also being paid to

districts, neighborhoods and streets

Level of Public-Private Partnerships

Substantial, and essential to successfully design and implement

visions and plans

View Towards Growth

Growth is an opportunity to support the economy, remake our

urban centers, suburban strips and rural villages, and promote

more sustainable development patterns.

The Era’s Implied Motto

Growth is inevitable and essential, but must be

balanced against the long-term desire for sustainable

places and systems.

An Era of “Sustainable Growth”

Conclusion • I believe that we are on the cusp of the next big change… and I

am optimistic about our ability to capitalize upon this opportunity.

• My optimism rests in several factors:

The private sector is an active and willing agent in many planning initiatives, coming to understand the linkages between quality of life and economic prosperity.

Regional planning has become a widely pursued and valued activity (although we still need good models and a better governance systems to implement these regional plans).

The Baby Boom generation will force some changes in our landscapes that in many ways support more sustainable development outcomes (Demographics as Destiny).

Planning is more visible than it has ever been, and issues like climate change and energy systems will only increase its visibility in the public and political spheres.

Planners and growth management advocates have shown an ability and willingness to learn and adapt.