Lisa Williams – PMAP 8021 1

Book Report: Best Development Practices

November 18, 2010

Best Development Practices: Doing the right thing and making money at the same time.

“Best Developments Practices: Doing the right thing and making money at the same time” is a

book written by Reid Ewing in which he attempts to outline best practices for development. The book is

divided into four categories of best practices for planning:

1. Land use

2. Transportation

3. Environment

4. Housing

Best practices addressed are grounded by the Florida State Comprehensive Plan and State Land

Development Plan which were authored to encourage growth within the state, discourage urban sprawl

and create “vibrant communities”.

The author approaches his outline of best practices by comparing the “best” historically

traditional towns with that of the “best” contemporary suburban developments. The two strategies of

development are examined for their best development traits. 12 real world examples (rather than

models) are studied: five traditional towns and seven best contemporary suburban developments. The

five traditional towns have all experienced market success dating back to pre-auto days and have

managed to not become full-brown cities to date.

The contemporary developments were carefully selected based on the following five

characteristics: 1. Market Success, 2. Shopping and Recreational Opportunities, 3. Environmental

Themes, 4. “Affordable” Housing with Amenities, and 5. Road Connections. Selected contemporary

communities meeting criteria #1 “had already proven themselves by capturing impressive shares of new

home sales in the market.”(Ewing, 1996, p. 3) #2 Shopping and Recreational Opportunities: aligns with a

mixed use philosophy by offering on-site opportunities for shopping and recreation, thus limiting off-site

trip frequency, reducing traffic, and easing environmental pollution. #3 Environmental Themes: was a

measure of conservation of natural features of the development site. #4: the communities must contain
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affordable housing options for “people of moderate means” with similar basic amenities as can be found

in more affluent communities. Lastly, #5 Road Connections: the communities must also have multiply

access ways to main city streets to help disperse traffic and encourage walking and biking.

By studying these 12 specific “successful” developments in Florida, Ewing is able to isolate the

particular practices which make these communities better than most in supporting Florida’s planning

goals. The author advocates that a combined neo-traditional approach supports Florida’s planning

goals by eliciting the following characteristics: conservation or enhancement of natural landscapes,

encouragement of pedestrian travel and residential mingling, better control and distribution of

automobile traffic. Ewing argues that this approach is not only for financially and environmentally

efficient but that it actually lends to developments’ success by promoting the characteristics that buyer

in the real estate market find most desirable. The following breakdown summarizes best practices as

examined in the studied developments.

Land Use:

In order to combat sprawl Ewing’s argues that it is necessary to promote “good accessibility”

and ample open space. The idea is that if people have good access to exterior institutions which support

their survival needs (work, school, transit, etc.) this will translate into “higher property values, less time

wasted in travel, less auto-dependence and related air pollution and fuel consumption.” To keep vehicle

travel miles (VMT) low it is necessary to have close proximal access to life’s necessities. The more

remote the development the more it must be self contained to keep VMT’s low. This will limit outside

travel and bring down averages even if the development is far from major cities. Related to VMTs is the

job-housing balance. The idea is that communities are more successful when at least 1/3 of

employment is internal. This also limits outside travel. Both of the above can be incorporated into

mixed use land use planning, which again is believed to limit trip frequency and travel distance. When

incorporating mixed use development planning, more “affordable” high density housing should be

placed closer to city centers. This helps improve accessibility by placing those with the least financial
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Book Report: Best Development Practices
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resources (and less likely to have private vehicles) closer to shops, civic centers, and transit areas.

Furthermore, mixed land uses may increase community feel, help reduce crime and have positive fiscal

impacts for local government.

“[Mixed-use] benefits include: a positive impact on local governments when

commercial development is part of the mix, a positive impact on residential property

values when commercial and civic uses as close by (though not next door) , greater

street security when people are coming and going at all hours, as they do in mixed-use

developments, and a greater sense of community when commercial and civic uses are

mixed in with residential and when public places exist for residents to have casual social

contact.”

Development clusters help separate developed and undeveloped space naturally and conserves larger

open spaces. The idea is to develop land in semi-dense clusters to combat sprawl and conserve

undeveloped land. This will also limit the amount of capital expenditures needed to support the

development as everything will be contained in a very well defined area. Open spaces entice people to

leave their homes and mingle with other members of the community. Open spaces also help “support

wildlife, enhance water quality, recharge ground water supplies, hold storm water, and provide views

and recreational opportunities.”(Ewing, 1996, pp. 17-18)

Transportation:

Ewing argues that in many developments, transportation planning is often an afterthought.

Most of the time the extent of transportation planning is to meet or accede minimum travel speeds on

arterial roads and highways. However, transportation planning is an important component in maintain

community feel and needs to be an integral part of the development planning process. Slow and steady

pace vehicle traffic within developments help retain property values and encourage “community” feel

by luring residents out of their cars and onto the city streets as pedestrians.

Ewing examines the differences between traditional town and contemporary suburban streets

to find the benefits of each planning strategy and form a hybrid approach. Urban grid systems, as found
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in traditional towns, disperse traffic, create direct routes, and facilitate easy transit routes. Suburban

curvilinear designs can more easily be planned around natural landscapes than grid systems and help

reduce community travel speeds and retain property values by directing high volume vehicle traffic

outside of neighborhoods and onto main arteries.

A hybrid system of short curved streets, cul-de-sacs, and “T” streets maximizing sub-connector

use which can be easily accessed from main arteries and connector roads should encourage pedestrian

travel while still supplying efficient vehicle routes. Speedier traffic is funneled to main arteries and

connectors which should be accessed within a 1-2 minute drive from sub-connector streets. Traffic

calming measure should be employed to increase pedestrian safety and in turn contribute of community

mingling. Efforts should also be made to specifically provide for pedestrian and bicycle travel which are

as efficient as those provided for motor vehicles. Employing these practices should lead to happier,

safer, more efficient, successful communities.

Environment:

Conserving natural landscape beauty can not only be environmentally friendly but cost effective

as well. Many states have monies set aside for developments which meet minimum environmental

conservation efforts. Furthermore, buyers in the real estate market put premium values on

developments that can offer some form of natural tranquility. One of the major ways to help conserve

undeveloped land and combat sprawl was mentioned earlier: clustering development. Furthermore by

preserving undeveloped landscapes developments can help protect wild life habitats, minimized storm

water treatment, and increase water retention in local areas. Please see Appendix A for Environmental

Best Practices.

Housing:

The goal of Ewing’s housing best practices is to promote affordable and diverse housing. Ewing

explains the link between affordable housing and transportation and social problems. Affordable

housing helps provide people of moderate means closer access to jobs they may be qualified to work
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and thus prevents excessive commute times or failure to find suitable employment. Ewing’s

arguments for affordable housing align with the concept of spatial mismatch as originated by
John F. Kain who pioneered this hypothesis in 1968(Kain).

Related to affordability is housing diversity. Diversity of housing stock can help retain residents

as they move through difference life-cycles with various housing needs. This concept includes housing

needs that accommodate various incomes. Ewing also explains that diversity of housing stock helps

developments reach a more segments of the housing market and thereby increases full occupancy

potential. Florida’s own Affordable Housing Study Commission asserts that diversity of housing stock is

a priority of the state.

One of the major keys to providing affordable housing is density. The more homes can be put

on an acre the more cost effective the land use will be. Ewing suggests that a minimum of six houses

per acre is needed to make housing “affordable.” He goes on to suggest ways in which dense housing

does not have to feel crowed if developers include open space and or commons.

Housing can be made even more affordable for residents if care is taken to develop the land in

energy efficient ways. For instance, trees and shrubs can provide shading that helps keep interior

temperatures lower in the summer. Ewing says that “precision landscaping” can help lower cooling bills

by as much as 40%.(Ewing, 1996, p. 143) Houses should also be situated in such a fashion as take into

account the position of the sun during different seasons and at various times of day.

“Living and high activity rooms go on the south side where they are heated by the low

winter sun and shaded from the high summer sun. Morning rooms go on the east side.

Garages, utility rooms, and closets provide nice insulating barriers on the east and west

sides of buildings.”(Ewing, 1996, p. 143)

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Book Report: Best Development Practices
November 18, 2010

Related Scholarly and Applied Work

Ewing explains that many of the best practices are drawn and/or elaborated upon from

established planning and development bodies such as the American Planning Association, The

National Association of Home Builders, and Urban Land Institute. Hence, the concepts in book

agree with vast numbers of other authors on the subject planning and can be quite useful for

planners seeking a concise summation of known best practices. However; some of Ewing’s best

practices are more aligned with the neo-traditionalist or new urbanist movements in planning

and cites authors such as A. Duany, P.H. Brown, E. Lerner-Lam, and others.

The author said himself that at the time of its writing there were hardly any books on

the subject of best planning practices and in fact most publications emphasized what not to do.

It was widely received at the time of publication and continues to be an important planning

publication to this day. It is even listed on the Carter Library website as a reference for

sustainable planning and design.

Reid Ewing is arguably one of the most influential contemporary environmental

planners. Best Development Practices served as a major contribution to the “Smart Growth”

planning movement started in the 1960s as a response to growing concern over the

environment and role the government should take in conservation.(Zovanyi, 2007) Since the

writing of this book he has gone on to author publications for the American Planning Institute

and the Environmental Protection Agency.1

As such, many of the concepts developed in Ewing’s book are endorsed by the

Environmental Protection Agency. Ewing’s Best Development Practices book is cited in the

2009 EPA publication of Smart Growth. The publication promotes developmental practices

1
http://www.smartgrowth.umd.edu/whoweare/facultyandstaff-reidewing.htm
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which have “beneficial environmental results” which are consistent with practices found in

Ewing’s book. According to the EPA, beneficial environmental results can be achieved with:

1. Compact development
2. Reduced impervious surfaces and improved water detention
3. Safeguarding of environmentally sensitive areas
4. Mixed land uses
5. Transit accessibility
6. Support for pedestrian and bicycle activity and other micro-scale urban
design factors (EPA, 2001)

With the EAPs endorsement, it goes without saying that Best Development Practices can be

quite helpful for any planner or developer seeking to build cost effect, environmentally

efficient, and financially successful, vibrant communities.

The book is laid out nicely with lots of pictures and illustrations of concepts. The lists of best

practices are presented at the beginning of every chapter and then explained in greater detail as one

reads on. There is a little overlap in some of the practices from various disciplines of planning (land use,

transportation, environment, and housing); however I believe the author is correct in mentioning

pertinent information as it relates to all chapters and developing ideas in more detail in the chapters

with greater relevance. This helps ensure that those not reading the book from cover to cover still get

basic concepts about relevant practices.

It was nearly impossible to find reviews of Ewing’s book that argue against any of the

practices set forth within it. The closest dissenting voice found is actually one that questions

the measurability of sprawl. While it has been widely agreed that sprawl is a major U.S.

problem that is threatening to destroy the environment, one study by Wolman et al. found that

the extent of the sprawl problem may be highly subjective. The authors explain their findings:
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“Our sensitivity analyses reveal that the measurement of sprawl critically depends on

which land area forms the basis of the analysis, and, to a lesser degree, how one

accounts for land unavailable for development.”(Wolman et al., 2005)

However; even if sprawl cannot be objectively measured, this does not devoid the value that can be

obtained from following Ewing’s best practices.

Perhaps the greatest weakness of the book is that it published in 1996. Without exerting a

information search effort, it is difficult to know if these communities are still successful given the

changes in the real estate market. A good follow up would be to reexamine these communities and see

if they are still faring better than the most communities in these tough economic times. Other than

that, I would highly recommend Best Development Practices to anyone interested in planning.

References:

EPA, U. S. (2001). Our Built and Natural EnvironmentsSmart Growth (pp. 36): U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.

Ewing, R. H. ( 1996). Best Development Practices: Doing the Right Thing and Making Money at the Same
Time. Chicago: American Planning Association.

Kain, J. F. The Spatial Mismatch Hypothesis: Three Decades Later. Housing Policy Debate, 3(2).

Wolman, H., Galster, G., Hanson, R., Ratcliffe, M., Furdell, K., & Sarzynski, A. (2005). The Fundamental
Challenge in Measuring Sprawl: Which Land Should Be Considered? [Article]. Professional
Geographer, 57(1), 94-105. doi: 10.1111/j.0033-0124.2005.00462.x

Zovanyi, G. (2007). The Role of Initial Statewide Smart-Growth Legislation in Advancing the Tenets of
Smart Growth. [Article]. Urban Lawyer, 39(2), 371-414.

Ziegler, E. (2009). The Case for Megapolitan Growth Management in the 21st Century: Regional Urban
Planning and Sustainable Development in the United States. Urban Lawyer, 41(1), 147-182.
Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database.

Appendix A
Land Use Best Practices
1. Keep vehicle miles of travel (VMT) below
the area average
2. Contribute to the area’s job-housing
balance
3. Mix land uses at the finest grain the
market will bear and include civic uses in
the mix
4. Develop in clusters and keep clusters small
5. Place higher density housing near
commercial centers, transit lines, and
parks
6. Phase convenience shopping and
recreational opportunities to keep pace
with housing
Transportation Best Practices
1. Design the street network with multiple
connections and relatively direct routes.
2. Space through-streets no more than a half
mile apart, or the equivalent route density
in a curvilinear network.
3. Use traffic calming measures liberally.
4. Keep speeds on local streets down to 20
mph.
5. Keep speeds on arterials and collectors
down to 35 mph (at least inside
communities).
6. Keep all streets as narrow as possible, and
never more than four travel lanes wide.
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7. Make subdivisions into neighborhoods
with well-defined centers and edges
8. Reserve school sites and donate them if
necessary to attract new schools
9. Concentrate commercial development in
compact centers or districts (rather than
letting it spread out in strips)
10. Make shopping centers and business parks
into all-purpose activity centers
11. Tame auto-oriented land uses, or at least
separate them from pedestrian-oriented
uses
7. Align streets to give buildings energy-
efficient orientations.
8. Avoid using traffic signals wherever
possible and always space them for good
traffic progression.
9. Provide networks for pedestrians and
bicyclists as good as the network for
motorists.
10. Provide pedestrians and bicyclists with
shortcuts and alternatives to travel along
high-volume streets.
11. Incorporate transit-oriented design
features.
12. Establish travel demand management
(TDM) programs at employment centers.

Appendix A (Cont.)
Environmental Best Practices
1. Use a systems approach to
environmental planning.
2. Channel development into areas that
are already disturbed.
3. Preserve patches of high-quality habitat,
as large and circular as possible,
feathered at the edges, and connected
by wildlife corridors.
4. Design around significant wetlands.
5. Establish upland buffers around all
retained wetlands and natural water
bodies.
6. Preserve significant uplands, too.
7. Restore and enhance ecological
functions damaged by prior site
activities.
Housing Best Practices
1. Offer “life cycle” housing.
2. Achieve an average net residential density
of six to seven units per acre (without the
appearance of crowding).
3. Use cost-effective site development and
construction practices.
4. Design in energy-saving features.
5. Supply affordable single-family homes for
moderate-income households.
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8. Minimize runoff by clustering
development on the least porous soils
and using infiltration devices and
permeable pavements.
9. Detain runoff with open, natural
drainage systems.
10. Design man-made lakes and stormwater
ponds for maximum habitat value.
11. Use reclaimed water and integrated
pest management on large landscaped
areas.
12. Use and require the use of Xeriscape TM
landscaping.
6. Supply affordable multifamily and
accessory housing for low-income
households.
7. Tap government housing programs to
broaden and deepen the housing/income
mix.
8. Mix housing to the extent the market will
bear.