Chapter 20 - Planning and Zoning Flashcards
What is laissez-faire?
A philosophy of noninterference by the government in private business affairs; advocates letting the owners of land and business fix the rules of competition
As part of the growth management process, city planning attempts to regulate city growth as required to achieve four basic goals:
- To plan future land uses that allow the highest and best use of the maximum number of properties
- To reduce the possibility that a particular type of land use may cause loss of value to neighboring properties
- To reduce present and future growth costs that must be borne by taxpayers
- To create an optimal social and economic environment as a result of community growth
The concurrency provision in Florida’s Growth Management Act of 1985 mandates that:
The infrastructure, such as roads and water and waste treatment facilities needed to support additional population, be in place before new development is allowed
Planning commissions are most effective when:
Composed of members who represent all walks of life
Members of the planning commission are usually:
Appointed (not elected) and serve in a voluntary, unpaid capacity
Three areas of responsibility for which city planning commissions are commonly delegated final authority are:
- Subdivision plat approval
- Site plan approval
- Sign control
What are the six types of background studies used by planners?
Population background studies Economic base studies Existing land-use studies Physiographic studies Recreation and community facilities studies Thoroughfare studies
What are base industries?
Those industries that attract outside money to the area, such as film making, fertilizer plants, and the citrus industry
What are service industries?
Those such as grocery stores, barber shops, and retail stores, whose customers are primarily local residents
What do economic base studies analyze?
The effect of base-industry employment in the area
What is the purpose of physiographic studies?
Help avoid unexpected problems with soil conditions: drainage, soil percolation, and load-bearing capacity
What is the purpose of thoroughfare studies?
Identify existing and projected traffic circulation systems
What are zoning ordinances?
Local laws that implement the comprehensive plan
What are building codes?
Protect the public health and safety from inferior construction practices
Residential zoning regulates:
Density (number of units [homes] per acre)
What is the purpose of commercial zoning?
Regulate intensity of use
What is the purpose of industrial zoning?
Regulate intensity of use
The agricultural zoning classification is:
An all-inclusive category; it is not divided into subcategories
What is the purpose of a variance?
Allows a property owner to vary from strict compliance with all or part of a zoning code because to comply would force an undue hardship (you didn’t cause it) on the property owner
What is the development of regional impact?
Any development that, because of its character, size, or location, will have a substantial effect on the health, safety, or welfare of citizens of more than one county in the state
What is a planned unit development (PUD)?
A type of special land use allowed under most local zoning ordinances (a city within a city)
One of the major reasons for the lack of emphasis on city planning in the 1800s was the:
Philosophy of laissez-faire