26 land use

Announcements – May 2

Wednesday, May 4th, Last lecture

No discussions this week (May 2-4)

Final Exam, May 9, 1:30

CNN - Report links urban sprawl tohealth problems.September 27, 2004

People who live in areas with a high degree of sprawl are more likely to report chronic health problems such as high blood pressure, arthritis, headaches and breathing difficulties compared to residents in less sprawled-out areas. "People drive more in these areas, they walk less."

A sprawling area is defined in the study as a place that has streets not well connected, lower population density and areas that are far from each other, such as schools and shopping malls.

Land-Use Planning

Lecture Objectives:

3) Trace the history of land use in North America

4) Understand the problems of unplanned growth

5) Learn mechanisms for land-use planning

Why are cities and suburbs located where they are?

Why is there so much traffic congestion and poorly designed highways?

The Need For Planning

• 1/3—1/2 world’s land surface altered by humans.– Most change done with minimal

forethought to consequences.

The Need For Planning

Most land-use decisions based on economic considerations or short-term needs rather than on unique analysis of the landscape.

Natural ecosystems should be considered a non-renewable resource

First U.S. colonists converted landscape to farming, and then to towns and cities.

A good place for a city was:On or near a waterway

TransportationWaterWaste disposal

Surrounded by farmland

Historical Forces That Shaped Land Use In North America

The “Big Grove”

200+ yr old Burr oak

Water and Urban Centers

Rural-To-Urban Shift

Industrial Revolution triggered switch from rural to urban living

Industrial jobs to be found in cities.

ImmigrantsCongregated in, and subdivided cities.

Offered variety of cultural, social, and artistic opportunities.

Where have you spent most of your life?

C)Urban environment (city)

E)Sub-urban environment

G)Rural community (e.g. small town in country)

I) Natural or agricultural environment

Migration from Central City To The Suburbs

Industrial Revolution led to polluted waterways and crowding & congestion in central city

roads and rail transport became more common

Migration from Central City To The Suburbs

Undesirable city conditions & expensive city land caused people & development to move to outskirts

1950—60% urban population lived in central cities.

1990—30% urban population lived in central cities.

Migration from Central City To The Suburbs

Agricultural land surrounding towns was converted to housing.

– Cheap, easy to build on & little restrictions

Land began to be viewed as a commodity, not a non-renewable resource to be managed.

Most single family houses after WWII were built away from city congestion.

Los Angeles Melbourne

http://www.suntimes.com/3838469-417/chicagos-population-drops-6.9-collar-counties-grow-census-shows

Precipitation in coastal San Diego Co.averages 216-240 mm/year (9-10 inches/yr).

A typical household in San Diego uses an average of 1220 mm (49 inches) of water /year

for outdoor use/irrigation.

San Diego County Water Authority

Las Vegas

1973, ~350,000 1991, ~930,000

2000, ~1,560,000 2006, ~2,013,000

Orange officials sue couple who removed their lawnMarch 02, 2010|By Amina Khan

City codes require that live landscaping cover 40% of the yard. Quan and Angelina Ha say their water use has dropped 80% since they replaced the grass with wood chips and drought-tolerant plants.

Some Southern California cities fine residents for watering their lawns too much during droughts.

But in Orange, officials are locked in a legal battle with a couple accused of violating city ordinances for removing their lawn in an attempt to save water.

Suburb Migration

Convenience and personal automobiles escalated decentralized housing patterns and diminished importance of mass transit.

– Decreased energy efficiency– Increased cost of supplying utility services

Urban Sprawl

Urban Sprawl — Pattern of unplanned low density housing and commercial development outside of cities usually on undeveloped land.

3) Wealthy suburbs4) Tract development5) Ribbon sprawl

Factors That Contribute to Sprawl

Lifestyle– Increased wealth of population.

Houses and cars

Economic – Building on agricultural land less expensive.– Tax laws encourage home development.

Planning and Policy– Historically, little coordination of effort.– Zoning ordinances prohibit land use mixing

Problems Associated With Unplanned Growth

Transportation and traffic– Little thought to transportation corridors.

Average person in U.S. spends 9 hrs/wk in an automobile.

70% of surface in Los Angeles is either roads, parking garages or lots

Local issues with transportation

MTD suspends trolley proposal

MTD considers annexing Savoy: bus service, higher property taxes & no public vote

Funding for area road projects

“shovel ready projects” - stimulus

http://olympiandriveproject.com/site10/

Problems Associated With Unplanned Growth

Air PollutionAs traffic increases, so does air pollution.

Energy EfficienciesAutomobiles are inefficient transportation.Decentralized cities—longer commutes.Single family homes less efficient.

Problems Associated With Unplanned Growth

Loss of Farmland

Loss of Open Space

Death of Central City

Land converted to urban uses at rate of over 1 million acres/year

Problems Associated With Unplanned Growth

Water / Air Pollution

Space - Typical mall has parking lot that is 4x larger than the space taken up by the building

Floodplain Problems– Many cities located

on floodplains.

Problems Associated With Unplanned Growth

OtherBuilding on fault lines.

Building in dry, fire prone areas.

Hurricane prone areas…

Land-Use Planning Principles

Effective Land-Use Planning should evaluate:

needs and wants of a population

land characteristics and value

various solutions to land uses before changes are made

Land-Use Planning Principles

1. Evaluate and record unique features.2. Preserve unique cultural or historical features.3. Conserve open space 4. Plan for mixed uses in close proximity.5. Plan variety of transportation options.6. Set limits and managed growth patterns.7. Encourage development in areas of existing infrastructure.

Mechanisms For Implementing Land-Use Plans

Establish state or regional planning agencies.Local govt’s have narrow view and don’t want to give up power

Purchase land or use rights.

Regulate Use–Zoning — Designating land for specific uses.

Special Urban Planning Issues

Urban Transportation Planning Conserve energy and land resources. Provide efficient / inexpensive transportation both

within city and to suburbs. Reduce urban pollution.

Redevelopment of Inner City Areas

Urban Recreation PlanningUntil recently, most urban parks were considered uneconomical use of the land

Smart Growth

• Smart Growth – growth without sprawl• Smart Growth Principles

– Mix land uses– Take advantage of compact designs– Create walkable neighborhoods– Foster distinctive, attractive neighborhoods– Preserve open space and critical areas– Strengthen development of existing areas– Provide variety of transportation choices.– Use native plants for landscaping

Federal Government Land-Use Issues

Recreation - Conflicts develop because some activities cannot occur in the same place at the same time

Both groups argue they pay taxes, thus “own” the land and have a right to use it.

Snowmobiles in Yellowstone

Points to Know

1) Historically, where was a good place to build a city? What are two factors that prompted the rural to urban population shift?

2) What land and personal factors lead to abandoning the central city for the suburbs?

3) What is urban sprawl and what are 3 reasons for it?4) Be able to recognize the 9 problems with unplanned

growth.5) Why is land-use planning often difficult to implement?6) What is smart growth? How can it be achieved?