WEEK 4: READING

An Overview of Land-Use Planning

by Adam Sowder, Guest Writer
Updated May 25, 2019

Within urban and rural communities, geography plays a critical role in the development of the
built environment. Urban planners must rely on knowledge of geographic space when deciding
how best to manage growth. As the cities of the world grow and more rural land is developed,
ensuring smart growth and practical environmental management are necessary goals.

Steps Before Planning and Development Can Occur

Before any kind of planning and development can happen, funds must be collected from the
public and a set of rules is needed to clarify the process. These prerequisites are the two active
factors in planning for land use. By collecting taxes, fees and even ideas from the public,
decision-makers are able to effectively provide plans for development and revitalization. Zoning
regulations provide a legal framework for development.

Regulations of Use of Private Land

Municipalities regulate the use of private land for a variety of reasons. Designations for the use
of land are provided in a municipality’s master plan, which is usually intended to ensure the
following.

Transportation Flow
Economic Development
Historic Preservation
Recreational Space/Parks
Environmental/Wildlife Protection

Businesses, manufacturers and residential communities all require specific geographic locations.
Accessibility is the key. Businesses are more suitable downtown while manufacturing centers
are most accessible for shipping at an interstate or a port. When designing residential
developments, planners generally focus on developing close to or directly above commercial
areas.

Components of Planning Urban Areas

The desire for urban areas is the flow of transportation. Before any development can happen,
there must first be an infrastructure suitable to the needs of future growth. Infrastructure
includes sewer, water, electricity, roads and floodwater management. The master plan of any
urban region has the potential for guiding growth in a way that will generate a fluid movement
of people and commerce, especially in emergency situations. Public investment through taxes
and fees is the cornerstone for developing infrastructure.
Most major urban centers have been around for a long time. Preserving the history and aesthetic
of earlier developments within a city creates a more livable space and can boost tourism in the
area.

Tourism and livability are also boosted by growing the city around major parks and recreation
areas. Water, mountains and open parks offer citizens an escape from the city’s hub of activity.
Central Park in New York City is a perfect example. National parks and wildlife sanctuaries are
perfect examples of preservation and conservation.

One of the essential parts of any plan is the ability to provide citizens with an equal opportunity.
Communities cut off from urban centers by railroads, interstates or natural boundaries have
difficulty in accessing employment. When planning for development and the use of land, special
attention must be given to lower-income housing projects. Mixing housing for various income
levels provides increased educational and opportunities for lower-income families.

To facilitate the implementation of a master plan, zoning ordinances and special regulations are
imposed on real-estate developers.

Zoning Ordinances
There are two essential parts to a zoning ordinance:

Detailed maps showing land area, boundaries and the zone under which the land is
categorized.
Text describing in full detail each zone's regulations.

Zoning is used to permit some types of construction and prohibit others. In some areas,
residential construction may be limited to a specific type of structure. Downtown areas may be a
mixed-use of residential and commercial activity. Manufacturing centers will be zoned for
construction close to the interstate. Some areas may be prohibited for development as a means of
conserving green space or access to water. There may also be districts where only the historical
aesthetic is allowed.

Challenges are faced in the zoning process, as cities desire to eliminate blighted areas of zero
growth while maintaining a diversity of interests in a geographic area. The importance of mixed-
use zoning is becoming increasingly apparent in major urban areas. By allowing developers to
build residential units above businesses, land use is maximized by creating a round-the-clock hub
of activity.

Another challenge faced by planners is the issue of socio-economic segregation. Some

subdivisions strive to maintain a certain financial status by regulating the scope of housing
developments. Doing this ensures that home values in the subdivision will remain above a
certain level, alienating the poorer members of the community.

*Adam Sowder is a fourth-year senior at Virginia Commonwealth University. He is studying

Urban Geography with a focus on Planning.
https://www.thoughtco.com/land-use-planning-1435786 accesed August 7, 2019
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Exercises:
A1. Match the definitions on the right to the words on the left.

urban the process of making something grow, develop, or become successful

again
rural a payment made to a professional person or to a professional or public
body in exchange for advice or services.
rely on the action of choosing a place for a special purpose or giving it a special
status.
clarify the basic physical and organizational structures and facilities (e.g.,
buildings, roads, and power supplies) needed for the operation of a
society or enterprise.
prerequisite a fast, wide road that goes between states and connects important cities
in the US
revitalization the activity of buying and selling, especially on a large scale.
municipality a strong feeling of wanting to have something or wishing for something
to happen.
designation an underground conduit for carrying off drainage water and waste
matter.
accessibility in, relating to, or characteristic of a city or town.
interstate something of great importance that everything else depends on
port make (a statement or situation) less confused and more clearly
comprehensible.
desire the quality of being able to be reached or entered.
flow (of a substance) able to flow easily.
infrastructure in, relating to, or characteristic of the countryside rather than the town.
sewer a town or city with a harbor where ships load or unload, especially one
where customs officers are stationed.
fluid a steady, continuous stream of something.
commerce depend on with full trust or confidence.
fee a city or town that has corporate status and local government.
cornerstone a thing that is required as a prior condition for something else to happen
or exist.

A2. Match the definitions on the right to the words on the left.

preserving being able to use or obtain something such as a service

earlier forced (something unwelcome or unfamiliar) to be accepted or put in
place.
boost protecting (something, especially an environmentally or culturally
important place or thing) from harm or destruction.
 hub had a severely detrimental effect on.
sanctuaries happening, belonging to, or done near the beginning of a particular time
or period.
boundary the action or state of setting someone or something apart from other
people or things or being set apart.
accessing formally forbid (something) by law, rule, or other authority.
ordinance concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty.
imposed places of refuge or safety.
permit clearly visible or understood; obvious.
prohibit a piece of legislation enacted by a municipal authority.
conserving maintaining (something) in its original or existing state.
aesthetic causing (someone) to feel isolated or estranged.
face the central or main part of something where there is most activity
blighted make great efforts to achieve or obtain something.
apparent a line that marks the limits of an area; a dividing line.
segregation give authorization or consent to (someone) to do something.
strive help or encourage (something) to increase or improve.
alienating confront and deal with or accept.

B. Answer the following questions based on the above text:

1. What make geography have an important role in the environment development?
2. What must be done before doing any environment planning?
3. What is the function of zoning regulations?
4. What are the roles of municipalities?
5. Where is the suitable place for businesses?
6. Where is the suitable place for residential area?
7. What is needed before any development can happen?
8. What is the function of the master plan of any urban region?
9. What are the disadvantages of preserving the history?
10. How to boost tourism and livability?
11. What is the essential part of any environment development plan?
12. What is the benefit of mixing housing for various income levels?
13. What are the roles of zoning?
14. Why are some areas prohibited for development?
15. What are the challenges of the zoning process?
16. How to maximize land use?
17. What will alienate the poorer members of the community?

r.a. 2019