Areas of Practice Flashcards
cards
Fiscal Impact Analysis
Is used to estimate the costs and revenues of a proposed development on a local government.
Average Per Capita Method
Simplest method, but it is also the least reliable. It divides the total local budget by the existing population in a city to determine the average per capita cost for the jurisdiction. The result is multiplied by the expected new population associated with the new development.
Adjusted Per Capita Method
Uses Average per capita calculated and adjusts this based on expectations about the new development. This relies on subjective judgment.
Disaggregated Per Capita Method
Estimates the costs and revenues based on major land uses; for example, the cost of servicing a shopping center versus an apartment complex.
Dynamic Method
Applies statistical analysis to time-series data from a jurisdiction. For example, how much sales tax revenue is generated per capita from a grocery store and applies this to the new development
basic steps of plan-making for comprehensive planning
Identify stakeholders Define goals Gather information and analysis Develop alternatives Select an alternative Implement (set budget and action steps) evaluate and amend
Tribal Planning
Engages tribal government leaders, residents, and businesses in preparing plans and administering planning processes in support of the tribal community.
subdivision
Is the division of land into two or more parcels, sites, or lots, for the purpose of transfer of ownership, development, or other forms of valuable interest.
plat
a map of a tract or parcel of land
replat
Allows for lots to be subdivided further or added back together
amending plat
Corrects errors or adds additional information to a plat
vacating plat
Allows for a plat to be terminated prior to the selling of any lots.
preliminary plat
To-scale mechanical drawing with precise topography and prescribed intervals showing the calculated location of all lots, streets, drainage patterns, facilities, and proposed dedications.
final plat
Is the approved preliminary plat with all bearing, monuments, curves, and notations, together with all dedications, easement, and approvals.
extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ)
Is a distance outside of the city limits where the subdivision regulations apply.
performance bonds
Is an agreement between the property owner and the community to ensure that the final plat is built as shown on the drawings within a certain time period. If the developer fails to meet the requirements, the government may use the bond to cover the cost of constructing the improvements
Dedications
Gifts of land for public purposes, such as roads, parks, and utilities
Impact fees
Typically charged for off-site infrastructure that is needed to provide service to a development, such as a water or a sewer main
development agreement
a voluntary contract between a local jurisdiction and a property owner detailing the obligations of both parties and specifying the standards and conditions that will govern development of the property.
subdivision bonuses
Is the extension of development benefits beyond those normally offered in exchange for enhancements such as affordable housing, cluster housing, and open space preservation.
Zoning
Is the separation of land uses or functions into separate districts. Zoning is implemented through locally enacted legislation that regulates and controls the use of private property. The purposes of zoning are to regulate land use, prevent land use conflicts, and allow growth to occur in a planned manner.
Zoning Regulate
Land use Lot Size Density Building placement Building height Building bulk Setbacks Provision of adequate light and air Parking Landscaping Signage
Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z)
Is required to issue recommendations in matters of zoning. Members are appointed by the governing body.
Board of Zoning Appeals
Is a quasi-judicial board that hears cases for variances, special exceptions to the zoning ordinance, and appeals of staff’s administration of the zoning ordinance.
City Council
The governing body of a city often has the final say on zoning issues.
Zoning Text
The zoning text, ordinance, or code lays out the exact regulations that zoning is created to implement.
Zoning Map
Is where zoning clearly becomes applicable to individual properties. The color-coded map shows which types of land uses are allowable where.
Zoning Amendments
Two ways that zoning can be changed. One is an amendment to the zoning ordinance or text. The other is an amendment to the zoning map. An amendment to the zoning ordinance changes the requirements for all properties. An amendment to the zoning map changes the zoning district on a particular property.
Euclidean Zoning
It places the most protective restrictions on residential land uses, less on commercial uses, and virtually none on industrial uses.
Cumulative Zoning
Single-family residential districts are the most exclusive. Successive zoning district allows all the uses from the previous zones. For example, a house could be built in an industrial zone but a factory could not be built in a residential zone.
Modified Cumulative Zoning
Districts are typically cumulative by type of land use. For example, a multi-family district would allow both single-family homes and multi-family housing..
permitted uses
If a retail zoning district lists barber shops as a permitted use, a business could open a barber shop without having to ask the city for permission.
Conditional use
Permits allow a certain use in a district only when it is compatible with its surroundings.
Run with the land (Conditional use)
If the permit runs with the land, any new user is required to follow the same conditions.
Run with the ownership (Conditional use)
If the permit runs with ownership, it offers the community an opportunity to review the circumstances if ownership or use changes. The conditions can be modified when a new conditional use permit is requested.
nonconforming use
Is a property use that existed prior to the adoption of district regulations and is allowed to continue under the “grandfather clause.”
Amortization
Sets a definite period of time within which the use must come into compliance with the zoning ordinance. This time period is based on the property owner’s original investment, the use of the property, and other factors that affect the owner’s potential income.
accessory use
Is one that is incidental to the main use of a property. Example is a garage apartment
use variance
Allows a property to have a use not explicitly allowed under the zoning district regulations. Example property owner wants to locate a structure closer to a lot line than the Zoning allows.
area variance
Allows a property to be excluded from the physical site requirements under the zoning ordinance. Example is build a house with only a 20-foot front setback instead of the required 25-foot setback.
Big-box retail
Generally has 50,000 or more square feet in a large box.
Concentrated animal feeding operations
Include the practice of raising farm animals indoors and in high volumes. Local govs are limited based on Right-to-farm laws (limit lawsuits against farms)
Maximum parking standards
Cap the amount of parking that a property owner or business can provide. This addresses the problem of providing excessive impervious cover and undermining pedestrian quality.
McMansion
Is a term that describes large houses that are mass produced and have perceived negative impacts on the community, sometimes because they are out of scale with surrounding homes.
Teardown
Is a term that refers to the demolition of a home for the purposes of building a larger home on the same lot.
Growth management
Specific regulatory policies aimed at influencing how growth occurs, mainly within a locality. Is a planning approach that pre-dates smart growth and sustainability planning (but is in the same family).
Smart Growth
Is a term that is used to describe planning for greater sustainability. Smart growth provides economic benefits “for individuals, for neighborhoods, for communities, for developers, for land owners, and for the economy as a whole.”
Ten primary principles for Smart Growth
Create a range of housing opportunities and choices;
Create walkable neighborhoods;
Encourage community and stakeholder collaboration;
Foster distinctive, attractive places with a strong sense of place;
Make development decisions predictable, fair, and cost-effective;
Mix land uses;
Preserve open space, farmland, natural beauty, and critical environmental areas;
Provide a variety of transportation choices;
Strengthen and direct development towards existing communities;
Take advantage of compact building design
Growing SmartSM
Is a legislative guidebook that focuses on updating state legislation to encourage better planning and zoning laws.
Sustainable development
As balancing the fulfillment of human needs with the protection of the natural environment so that the present and future population’s needs can be met. Includes environmental, social, and economic components.
Triple bottom line
First coined in 1994 by John Elkington. His argument was that companies should be preparing three different bottom lines: one for corporate profit, one for people, and one for the planet. The Three Ps
Carrying capacity
Is a biological concept indicating the maximum population size of a species that could be sustained in perpetuity within the environment, given the availability of food, water, habitat, etc. First used in 1845 by James Buchanan.
Trip generation
deals with the number of trips that a particular site is likely to generate.
Origin-Destination Survey
Estimates trip generation. Survey requires that roadblocks be set up along major routes. Motorists are sampled and asked questions on point of origin.
Cross tabulation models
A statistical tool that is used to analyze categorical data. Example estimates trip generation. They allow for estimates of trip generation rates based on land use type, purpose, or socioeconomic characteristics.
Trip Distribution
Is a model of the number of trips that occur between each origin zone and each destination zone
Earth Day
The first Earth Day was April 22, 1970.
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
Created in 1927 in order to create the Colorado River Aqueduct.
Rachel Carson
Author of Silent Spring. Examined the dangers of chemical pesticides, such as DDT, on plants, animals, and humans.
Effluent Standards
Set restrictions on the discharge of pollutants into the environment. Effluent guidelines reduce the discharge of pollutants that have serious environmental impacts.
Estuary
Is an area where freshwater meets saltwater.
Lagoon
Is a shallow body of water that is located alongside a coast.
Marsh
A type of freshwater, brackish water or saltwater wetland found along rivers, ponds, lakes, and coasts.
Reservoir
Pond, lake, tank, or basin that can be used for the storage and control of water, and can be either natural or man-made
Swamp
Freshwater wetland that has spongy, muddy land and a lot of water.
Water table
The upper surface of ground water. Below is where groundwater saturates spaces between sediments and cracks in rock.
The Clean Water Act
Passed in 1972, with a major amendment in 1977. The Act requires anyone wanting to discharge pollutants into a body of water to obtain a permit.
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)
Permit Program controls water pollution by regulating point sources that discharge pollutants into waters
Clean Air Act
1970 and made major revisions in 1977 and 1990. Provisions that cut off federal funding for metropolitan areas that are not in attainment.
National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)
Established for six “criteria” or major of outdoor air pollutants: lead, carbon monoxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter.
Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD)
Relates to air quality and requires that a project will not increase emissions above a specified PSD increment.
Ambient Air Quality Standards
Are the maximum air contaminant concentrations allowed in the ambient air.
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
Created in 1969
The Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899
Considered the oldest environmental law in the U.S., prohibited the construction of any bridge, dam, dike, or causeway over any navigable waterway in the U.S. without Congressional approval. The Act also required Congressional approval for all wharves, piers, or jetties, and the excavation or fill of navigable waters.
The Water Pollution Control Act of 1948
allowed the Surgeon General of the Public Health Service, in cooperation with other governmental entities, to prepare a comprehensive program for eliminating or reducing the pollution. Allowed the Federal Works Administrator to assist government agencies in constructing treatment plants that could help to prevent discharges of inadequately treated sewage and other wastes into interstate waters or tributaries.
The Water Quality Act of 1965
Established the Water Pollution Control Administration within the Department of the Interior. This was the first time water quality was treated as an environmental concern rather than a public health concern.
The Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972
Later amended in 1990, focused efforts to reduce polluted runoff in 29 coastal states.
The Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972
Amended the Water Pollutant Act of 1948. The amendments broadened the government’s authority over water pollution and restructured the authority for water pollution under the Environmental Protection Agency. The Act changed the enforcement from water quality standards to regulate the number of pollutants being discharged from particular point sources.
The Endangered Species Act of 1973
Provides protection of animal and plant species that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designates as threatened or endangered.
The Public Utility Regulatory Policy Act (PURPA) of 1978
Promotes alternative energy sources, energy efficiency, and reduced dependence on foreign oil. It also created a market for non-utility power producers and requires competition in the utility industry.
The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)
In 1980 created a $1.6 billion Superfund to clean up abandoned hazardous waste sites and requires major industries to report annual releases of toxic wastes into the air, water, or ground. Over 1,200 superfund sites. Tax on petro and chemical industries provide funding.
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) of 1976
Provided EPA with the ability to control hazardous waste from the “cradle-to-grave.” This includes the generation, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste, as well as the management of non-hazardous solid wastes.
The Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976
Provided EPA with responsibility for reporting, record-keeping and testing requirements, and restrictions relating to chemical substances and/or mixtures. Excluding food, drugs, cosmetics, and pesticides.
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)
Passed in 1947. Established procedures for registering pesticides with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. FIFRA currently mandates that EPA regulate the use and sale of pesticides to protect human health and the environment.
Safe Drinking Water Act
Passed in 1974 and has been amended several times since. This law protects both the sources of drinking water and the end product.
Brownfields
Are “real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.
Environmental Justice
Issued by President Clinton in 1994. Requires that federal agencies strive to make achieving environmental justice part of their mission by addressing the disproportionate adverse environmental and human health impacts of its policies, programs, and activities on minority and low-income populations.
United States sources of electricity
62.7% fossil fuels (split by coal and natural gas)
20% nuclear
17.1 renewables (mostly wind and hydropower)
fossil fuels
Coal, crude oil, and natural gas are all considered fossil fuels (formed from the buried remains of plants and animals that lived millions of years ago). Natural gas and methane gas (a naturally occurring byproduct of decaying plant and animal material) are burned to produce electricity.
Uranium
Is not a fossil fuel but is classified as nonrenewable fuel.
Renewable energy
Cannot be exhausted and is constantly renewed. This includes sunlight, geothermal heat, wind, tides, water, and various forms of biomass.
Biomass energy
Uses organic material which is burned to create energy. Biomass is renewable organic matter such as wood or ethanol (derived almost exclusively from corn).
Hydroelectric power
Is typically associated with large dams. It uses falling water to produce power, which is moved through a turbine, causing it to spin. The spinning turbine is coupled with a generator, which produces energy.
Solar Energy
Solar power uses photovoltaic panels to convert sunlight directly into electricity. Measured in kilowatt-hours per square meter (kWh/m2) electricity. British thermal units per square foot (Btu/ft2) for heat production. Zoning controls the location of solar resources on a site, through setbacks, height and lot coverage restrictions.
Passive Solar Design
Mitigates the building’s energy needs. The goal is maximize the amount of direct sunlight to each building. Example: colder climates, south facing windows capture solar energy for daytime heating.
Solar photovoltaic (PV) systems
Use photovoltaic cell technology to capture radiant energy from the sun and create electricity. Photovoltaic cells are placed on panels that are then placed on rooftops or mounted on the ground
Wind power
Wind turbines are tall (100 feet plus) in order to catch the wind more efficiently. wind farms need to comply with land use districts, setback requirements and height limitations. Ordinances regulating wind energy should address setbacks, tower height, visual appearance, sound, and design review for turbine design.
Energy Efficiency
Buildings are made more efficient by using insulation, which is rated in terms of thermal resistance, called R-value ( the resistance to heat flow). The higher the R-value, the greater the insulation. A minimum R-value of 20 is recommended for residential use.
Economic development includes
Job Creation Private Business Expansion Tax Base Expansion Wealth Creation Quality of Life Standard of Living
Economic development
Works by using government inducements and assistance to increase private investment. This private investment is expected to create new jobs, reduce unemployment and increase incomes, thus increasing demand for goods and services.
multiplier effect
That certain types of jobs will drive demand for other jobs.
Enterprise zones (EZs)
Geographic areas in which companies can qualify for a variety of subsidies. The original intent of most EZ programs was to encourage businesses to stay, locate, or expand in depressed areas and thereby help to revitalize them.
Urban design
Is the process of creating the physical setting for cities and urban spaces. This can involve the design of buildings, spaces, and landscapes.
Context-Sensitive Design (CSD)
Refers to roadway standards and development practices that are flexible and sensitive to community values. The CSD allows design decisions to better balance economic, social and environmental objectives within the community
Context-Sensitive Design (CSD) promotes
Balance safety, community, and environmental goals in all projects;
Involve the public and affected agencies early and continuously;
Use an interdisciplinary team tailored to project needs;
Apply flexibility inherent in design standards;
Incorporate aesthetics as an integral part of good design.
A Form-based code
Is a type of zoning code that regulates development to achieve a specific urban form. Address the relationship between building facades and the public realm, the form and mass of buildings in relation to one another, and the scale and types of streets and blocks. Focus on form over use.
New Urbanism
Promotes mixed-income, walkable neighborhoods with a variety of architectural styles. Neighborhoods are to be well-defined with an edge and a center, public space throughout, and walkable access to shopping, work, school and transit
The Transect
A conceptual device for orienting development on a rural to urban continuum. This concept is used in New Urbanist planning practices and is often the basis of a form-based code.
Tactical Urbanism (DIY Urbanism, Planning-by-Doing, Urban Acupuncture, or Urban Prototyping)
refers to low-cost temporary changes to the urban environment that are intended to demonstrate the potential impacts that change can have.
Tactical Urbanism (DIY Urbanism, Planning-by-Doing, Urban Acupuncture, or Urban Prototyping)
refers to low-cost temporary changes to the urban environment that are intended to demonstrate the potential impacts that change can have. Example; adding a temporary bike lane
Transit-oriented development (TOD)
Is a mixed-use development designed to maximize access to public transportation. This type of development typically has a light rail, bus, or other types of transit station located at the center.
Biophilic Design
Concerns the need to create habitat for people as biological organisms.
Biophilic Design: DIRECT EXPERIENCE OF NATURE
- Light
- Air
- Water
- Plants
- Animals
- Natural Landscapes and Ecosystems
- Weather
Biophilic Design: INDIRECT EXPERIENCE OF NATURE
- Images of Nature
- Natural Materials
- Natural Colors
- Mobility and Wayfinding
- Cultural and Ecological Attachment to Place
- Simulating Natural Light and Air
- Naturalistic Shapes and Forms
- Evoking Nature
- Information Richness
- Age, Change, and the Patina of Time
- Natural Geometries
- Biomimicry
Public Health Movement
Mid to Late 1800s. Improvements for hygiene and living standards.
model tenement
First build in New York in 1855. Set standards for tenements.
Tenement House Act of 1867
New York City passed first major housing code in US. The Act required all rooms within tenements to have windows, but it did not require windows to open to the outside.
Tenement House Act of 1879
This law required that windows open to outside air, which resulted in the dumbbell tenement housing type with open air shafts.
Jacob Riis
In 1890 published How the Other Half Lives. Highlighted the plight of the poor in New York City
dumbbell tenement
Housing type with open air shafts.
Tenement House Law of 1901
New York State passed it. It outlawed dumbbell tenements. The City required inspection and permits for construction and alterations. It also required wide light and air areas between buildings, as well as toilets and running water in each apartment unit.
Clarence Perry I
In 1929 published the Neighborhood Unit Concept as part of the Regional Plan of New York and Its Environs. The Neighborhood Unit Concept defines a neighborhood based on a five-minute walking radius, with a school at its center.Each neighborhood is approximately 160 acres.
Public Works Administration (PWA)
Created in 1934 following the Great Depression, provided 85 percent of the cost of public housing projects. This was the first federally supported public housing program.
National Housing Act
In 1934 it established the Federal Housing Administration with the purpose of insuring home mortgages.
Resettlement Administration
In 1935 used New Deal funds to develop new towns throughout the U.S. Three of these were the “Greenbelt” communities of Greendale, WI, Greenhills, OH, and Greenbelt, MD, which are all in existence today.
U.S. Housing Act
In 1937 provided $500 million in home loans for the development of low-cost housing. This Act tied slum clearance to public housing. In addition, Section 8 of the Housing Act of 1937 authorized project-based rental assistance where the owner reserves some or all of the units in a building for low-income tenants
Servicemen’s Readjustment Act (GI Bill)
In 1944 guaranteed home loans to veterans. The result was the rapid development of suburbs.
Housing Act of 1949
The first comprehensive housing legislation passed in the U.S. The Act called for the construction of 800,000 new housing units and emphasized slum clearance.
Housing Act of 1954
Called for slum prevention and urban renewal. The Act provided funding for planning for cities under 25,000 population. The 701 funds were later expanded to allow for statewide, interstate, and regional planning.
Housing Act of 1959
Made federal matching funds available for comprehensive planning at the metropolitan, regional, state, and interstate levels.
Housing Act of 1961
Provided interest subsidies to nonprofit organizations, limited-dividend corporations, cooperatives, and public agencies for the construction of public housing projects for low and moderate income families to rent.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Formed through the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1965. The act also put into place rent subsidies for the poor, home loans at reduced interest rates, and subsidies for public housing projects.
Demonstration Cities and Metropolitan Development Act
In 1966 was the launch of the model cities program. The Act provided financial incentives for coordinated metro area planning for open spaces, water supply, sewage disposal, and mass transit.
Fair Housing Act (FHA)
Comprised of Titles VIII through IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1968. Was an expansion of previous acts to prohibit discrimination concerning the sale, rental, and financing of housing based on race, religion, national origin, and since 1974, sex. Since 1988, the act protects people with disabilities and families with children.
Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968
Provided for the construction of six million subsidized housing units. The Act also authorized monthly subsidies for private houses for low-income families.
Pruitt-Igoe
In 1972 was demolished in St. Louis. Its demolition marked a shift away from high-rise concentrated public housing.
Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG)
In 1974 was created under the Housing and Community Development Act. This grant program provides flexibility for communities to use federal funds for the improvement of blighted areas. Created the Section 8 housing voucher program
National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Act of 1974
Regulated manufactured housing units (sometimes called “mobile homes”) for the first time. Local ordinances can be used to regulate manufactured housing in terms of location, size, and appearance. The act applied to all manufactured homes built in 1976 or later.
Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA)
In 1975 requires financial institutions to report mortgage data to the public. The law helps track whether banks are serving the housing credit needs of their communities, potentially identifying discriminatory lending patterns.
Community Reinvestment Act (CRA)
In 1977 o encourage banks to meet the credit needs of low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. One of the aims of the CRA was to reverse the effects of redlining, a highly discriminatory practice in which banks restricted lending in areas they deemed too risky (most often this applied to African-American neighborhoods).
Urban Development Action Grant Program (UDAG)
In 1977 amendment to the 1974 Housing and Community Development Act. promoted public-private partnerships for the redevelopment of urban areas. It also required intergovernmental cooperation in the placement of projects. Finally, it cut funding for the Section 701 comprehensive planning program.
National Affordable Housing Act of 1990
Created the HOME program, which provides funds for housing rehabilitation.
HOPE VI
IN 1992 grant program provided funds for the redevelopment of severely distressed public housing. It also allowed for the demolition of public housing as well as the construction of new public housing in mixed-income neighborhoods, following the principles of New Urbanism.
Consolidated Plan
In 1995 HUD required local communities to prepare a Consolidated Plan in order to receive funding from HUD programs. It is a process through which a community identifies its housing, homeless and community development needs and establishes multi-year goals and an annual action plan. It is also a public document that details a community’s community development and housing profile.
Sweat equity
Is the interest or increased value in a property earned from labor put towards the restoration of a property. Example: Habitat for Humanity.
Urban homesteading
Has been used by a number of cities to encourage residents to occupy and renovate vacant properties. HUD allows for federally owned properties to be sold to homesteaders.
Workforce housing
Term used for subsidized housing meant for teachers, nurses, police officers, and others in the workforce. The term is popular because it is seen as having less social stigma than “affordable housing.”
The Aging of America
The Aging of America is a critical issue facing cities across the United States. By 2030, people over the age of 65 are expected to represent 20 percent of the US population.
Community Development Banks
Banks that operate in low to moderate income areas. They are certified by the US Department of Treasury. In addition, banks can seek an alternative designation by the National Community Investment Fund if they locate branches and provide loans in economically distressed areas.
Colonias
Unincorporated subdivisions with little or no infrastructure that are sold to low-income individuals. Colonias are located in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas, and their residents are predominantly Hispanic. Lack of affordable housing near the Mexican boarder
Homelessness
Has risen over the last twenty years. Major factors that contribute to homelessness include affordable health care, domestic violence, mental Illness, and addiction.
Yellowstone
the first national park, designated in 1872.
National Park Service (NPS)
Created in 1916 when President Woodrow Wilson signed the Organic Act of 1916 (an Organic Act is an act that establishes a territory or an agency to manage federal lands).
John Muir
Early advocate for the creation of a national park system. He wrote extensively for popular publications, bringing national attention to sites that would ultimately become national parks, including Glacier Bay and Mount Rainier. He also championed protecting the Petrified Forest and the Grand Canyon.
Theodore Roosevelt
Created five national parks and signed the Antiquities Act, which created 18 national monuments, including the Grand Canyon. He created 51 federal bird sanctuaries, four national game refuges, and more than 100 million acres of national forests.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR)
Improved national parks through the Civilian Conservation Corps. Included civil war battlefields and the Lincoln Memorial into the care of the National Park system. Helped create Olympic and Kings Canyon National Parks, and directed funds to purchase land to create the Smoky Mountains National Park (the first time federal funds were used to purchase park land).
Linear parks
are significantly longer in length than in width. The New York High Line is an example of a linear park.
Neighborhood parks
Provide access to basic recreation opportunities for residents of a neighborhood. They are ideally within walking and bicycling distance of most residents and are small in size, typically five or fewer acres.
Community parks
Serve a one to five-mile area and are typically 20 to 100 acres in size providing a mix of amenities to serve an entire community.
Regional parks
May be managed by a special park district and serve multiple jurisdictions.
Parklets
Are public seating platforms that convert curbside parking spaces into vibrant community spaces. Also known as street seats or curbside seating, parklets are the product of a partnership between the city and local businesses, residents, or neighborhood associations.
level of service (parks)
Standards include the percentage of the population within a ½ mile of a neighborhood park or trail.
ParkScore
Is a rating system for the 100 largest U.S. cities, developed by the Trust for Public Land. The four characteristics that are analyzed for a ParkScore are: acreage, investment, amenities, and access.
Greenway
Is any scenic trail or route set aside for travel or recreational purposes.
Scenic resources
Are landscape patterns and landscape features that are aesthetically pleasing and contribute to the distinctness of a community or region.
Viewshed
Is the area that is visible through a line of site from a location. Napa County California has a viewshed ordinance to protect views from certain locations in the Count
Wildlife Corridor
Is the linkage that joins two similar wildlife habitats.
Conservation Easements
Are legal agreements between a property owner and a land trust (or other organization) in which the property owner agrees to place restrictions on the use of the property to protect natural resources.
Transfer of Development Rights (TDR)
Programs allows for the transfer of development rights from an area that is designated for low-density development to an area planned for growth. Seeks to preserve landowners’ asset value by moving the right to build a house from a location where development is prohibited to a location where development is encouraged.
Sending zone (TDRs)
The environmental protection zone where development rights are separated. It is called a sending zone because the development rights are “sent” out of it.
Receiving zone (TDRs)
A zone where a developer buys a right to build more units than currently permitted in the local zoning ordinance. These zones “receive” development rights.
The Antiquities Act of 1906
Established that archeological sites on public lands are public resources and obligated federal agencies to preserve sites for future generations. authorizes the President to protect landmarks, structures, and objects of historic or scientific interest by designating them as National Monuments.
The Organics Act of 1916
Established the National Park Service to manage national parks and national monuments.
The Historic Sites Act of 1935
Sought to organize federally owned parks, monuments and historic sites under the National Park Service. Declared a national policy to preserve historic sites, buildings, and objects of national importance for public use.
The Wilderness Act of 1964
Created the National Wilderness Preservation System. Defined wilderness as “an area of undeveloped Federal land retailing its primeval character and influence without permanent improvements or human habitation.” In 2016 more than 106 million acres are designated as wilderness.
The National Wild and Scenic River Act of 1968
Seeks to preserve rivers with outstanding natural, cultural and recreational values in a free-flowing condition for the enjoyment of current and future generations. In 2018 12,754 miles on 209 rivers in 40 states and Puerto Rico.
Foods Systems Planning
Planners can document the availability of different types of food retail destinations (farmers markets, grocery stores, restaurants and food pantries), food production (farms and community gardens), the quality of food available (nutritional quality, affordability, cultural appropriateness), and the accessibility of food destinations and how access varies by socio-economic status.
food deserts
Areas that lack access to healthy food
community gardens
Are shared open space where individuals garden together to grow fresh, healthful, and affordable fruits and vegetables.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
20-year old movement to connect farmers to consumers. Farmers sell shares of their harvest to consumers at the beginning of the growing season. Shareholders receive a weekly allotment of fresh produce from the farm, which can vary based on the productivity of the farm.
Farm to School
Programs brings fresh food from local farms to school cafeterias. The school or school district partners with area farmers to purchase food directly, which is then distributed and served at local schools. These programs can also include meat and seafood, in addition to produce.
Food Policy Council (FPC)
A group of individuals that advises local and state government on matters related to food policy. Food policy councils perform a variety of interrelated tasks such as facilitating community food assessments, raising awareness of food issues with the public and local governments, developing food policies, advising community planning processes, promoting CSAs, Farm to School and other programs and organizing education events.
Agricultural Land Trust
Identifies agricultural lands that should be preserved, and works with farm owners to participate in the trust via a conservation easement — an agreement between a landowner and a land trust (or conservation group or government agency) regarding the future uses of a private property.
Healthy Corner Store Initiatives
This program provides financial assistance to small corner grocery stores to increase the offering of healthful foods in underserved neighborhoods, as well as educating store owners and residents of the need for healthy food options.
historic district
Is a group of buildings, properties or sites that have been designated either at the local, state and/or national level. This designation is provided when the buildings, properties or sites in the area have been determined to be historically or architecturally significant.
National Register of Historic Places
Created in 1966. In order to be designated on the National Register, the building, property or site must have historic significance, among other criteria. Qualify for federal tax incentives. A 20% income tax credit is available for the rehabilitation of historic.
National Trust for Historic Preservation
Privately funded nonprofit organization initially established for the acquisition and administration of historic sites. Best known for its Main Streets Program.
State and Local Historic Districts
The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 requires that all states have a State Historic Preservation Office. Many state and local governments have their own laws for historic district designation.
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
Is a phone survey to collect state-level data on the prevalence of behavioral risks among adults. For example, the survey asks about smoking and physical activity.
Health Disparities
Are the differences in the incidence of health conditions and diseases among varying population groups. One example would be a low birth weight health disparity in a certain neighborhood in a city.
Health Impact Assessment (HIA)
Uses quantitative and qualitative methods to assess the health consequences of a policy, project or program where health is not the primary objective.
Major steps in conducting an HI
Screening
Scoping (planning the HIA and identifying what health risks and benefits to consider).
Assessment (identifying affected populations and quantifying health impacts of the decision).
Recommendations (suggesting practical actions to promote positive health effects and minimize negative health effects).
Reporting (presenting results to decision makers, affected communities, and other stakeholders).
Monitoring and evaluation (determining the HIA’s impact on the decision and health status).
Corridor Transportation Planning
Typically occurs at the regional level. Corridor planning allows the region’s governments and responsible agencies to coordinate major transportation planning projects. Corridor planning identifies the long-range transportation needs along the corridor, evaluates alternatives, and implements strategies addressing these needs.
National Corridor Planning
This refers to the “efficient movement of people and goods through institutional collaboration and aggressive, proactive integration of existing infrastructure along major corridors.” The main goal is for corridors to be managed as multimodal systems where operational decisions are “for the benefit of the corridor as a whole.”
Scenic Corridor Planning
National Scenic Byways Program in 1992. The purpose of the program is to designate and fund enhancements of scenic highways across the U.S. The roadway must have archaeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, and/or scenic qualities. The state must also offer a scenic program
Greenways and Blueways Planning
Most effective at the regional level. Example: creating a blueway plan for the length of a river in the region or providing connectivity between blueways and greenways to create regional recreational opportunities. Goals include: Protecting natural resources;
Providing alternative transportation options;
Connecting neighborhoods with recreational opportunities;
Promoting healthy communities;
Creating economic development opportunities.
Greenbelts
Are undeveloped natural land areas that have been set aside for the purposes of open space and recreation, linking urban residents with nature.
National Heritage Areas
Are places where natural, cultural and historic resources combine to form a cohesive, nationally important landscape.
Tourism Corridor Planning
Refers to efforts to link social, cultural and economic drivers between communities for the purposes of supporting tourism.
Neighborhood Planning Origins
Early 1900s Robert Park and E.W. Burgess.
Neighborhoods
Are often difficult to define geographically, and definitions and boundaries change over time. boundaries are set for planning purposes based on roadways, rivers, or census boundaries. Census tracts, which average 4,000 population, are often used as a proxy for neighborhood.
Neighborhood planning
a sub-city level of planning. It follows the same process as other types of planning, including collecting information, identifying key issues, setting goals, coming up with alternatives, selecting alternatives, determining the implementation mechanisms, and evaluating the progress towards the implementation of the plan. Public participation is a critical part of the neighborhood planning process.
Bernie Jones
Neighborhood Planning that was published in 1990.
Daniel Burnham’s 1909 Plan of Chicago
Was an early effort to restore an urban waterfront for recreational use, and much of the Plan’s success lies in its reclamation of the Chicago waterfront.
Waterfront Planning
Key environmental considerations when undertaking a waterfront planning process is mitigation, hazardous considerations (flood mitigation), climate change, utilities, and balance of land use (recreational, residential, commercial).
Downtown Planning
Downtown plans incorporate many of the same components as other types of specific area plans. A downtown plan is a type of “specific area plan.”
Edge city
describes a relatively new concentration of business, shopping and entertainment outside a traditional urban area in what had recently been a suburb or rural community.
Joel Garreau
991 book Edge City. Argued that edge cities were the new normal of urban growth worldwide.
Five Rules of a Edge City
1) It must have more than five million square feet of office space to accommodate between 20,000 to 50,000 office workers (as many as some traditional downtowns);
2) It must have more than 600,000 square feet of retail space, the size of a medium shopping mall. This ensures that the edge city is a center of recreation and commerce as well as office work;
3) It must be characterized by more jobs than bedrooms;
4) It must be perceived by the population as one place;
5) It must have been nothing like a city 30 years earlier.
Comprehensive Plan
Plan based on the best available information and most inclusive processes will confer economic, environmental, and social benefits outweigh the investment of resources
Land capability analysis
Analyzes the geologic, hydrologic, soil, and physical data of land. Estimate the cost the physical conditions will impose on types of development.
Land suitability analysis
A broader analysis where should we be having development and where we should not be having development.
Right to Farm Law
Deny nuisance lawsuits against farmers who use standard farming practices and have been in prior operation before these practices or bother adjacent property owners or the general public.
Face-block neighborhood
two sides of a street on one (or maybe two) blocks
Topo Map Scale
1:24,000
