Land use planning is the core of urban

planning practice
•It is the key to guiding urban development
Content
• the process of land use planning
• with ways to implement
• the key participants in land use planning
Differing concept of land
There are two different and generally conflicting views of land
1. As property – a private commodity to be owned, used bought or sold for
personal comfort profit – private –property rights/ personal right
2. Shared natural resource – much like air and water to be conserved and
cared for with due reared for its effect on society as a whole and for the
condition in which it will be passed on to future generation.
Most legal system recognizes both of these concept
• it protects a person’s right to own and use his or her property, and
• permits government to impose reasonable limitations on its use in order
to protect the public health, safety, and general welfare
• Unfortunately, the balancing of these two concepts is not always a simple
matter, and often the subject of policy conflict, political debate and
litigation
What use of land is in the best public interest ?
• The best use of land may be very different when
viewed from a particular neighborhood's,
standpoint than it is from a citywide or
countrywide(metropolitan, state, or national
interest) standpoint
• “Bad “ land use in terms of its environmental
impact might be a “good” land use in terms of its
economic benefits to the citizenry –vice versa.
• An awareness of these frequently conflicting
views of land use – private profit versus public
stewardship, local interest versus area wide
interests, and economic benefits versus
environmental degradation – is necessary to an
adequate understanding of land use planning.
• Hence, effective land use planning is rarely a
purely research, design, and political exercise
An overview of land use planning
A land use plan
• is an expression of a community’s intent as to what its
future pattern of land uses should be
• It identifies areas that are to be devoted to various
types, densities, and intensities of use categories, such
as residential, commercial, industrial, and various
public uses.
• It also identifies the principles and standards that
should be applied in the development or conservation
of this area
A land use plan
• Usually consists of a text (includes policies) and a map or
series of maps (illustrate the spatial application of these
policies either in general or in detail)
• It is one component of a comprehensive plan. other
components dele with transportation, utilities, various
community facilities, and special concerns, such as
economic development and environmental protection.
• The nature of land use plans can vary with the type and
size of:
– The community
– Its governmental structure
– The state and local lows governing it.
For example: land use plan for a rural village-industrial city,
suburb-central city
• Land use plans vary as to the length of their
planning period (i.e., how far into the future a
plan looks.)
– A long-range plan-have a target year 20 or 25 years
into the future,
– A specific development program may have a 5-year
planning period or less
land use planning as a part of comprehensive planning
Given the comprehensive, integrative, nature of urban
planning, a land use plan is normally only one functional
element within a comprehensive planning process.
Although it is the most critical element, it is accompanied
by other functional elements supportive studies

Every city and country must prepare and adopt a

comprehensive plan containing the following elements:
• Capital improvements
• Future land use plan
• Traffic circulation
• Sanitary sewer, solid waste, drainage, and potable
water
• Conservation
• Recreation and open space
• Housing
• Coastal management (for coastal jurisdictions only )
• Intergovernmental coordination
Optional element
• Mass transit
• Port, aviation, and related facilities plans
• Nonautomotive vehicular (e.g., bicycle) and pedestrian traffic
• Off-street parking
• Public building and related facilities
• Community design
• general area redevelopment
• Safety
• Historical and scenic preservation
• Economic development
• Other elements that are peculiar to and necessary for the area
• A land use plan is to a community what a floor plan
is to a building:
– it determines what kind of activities are to go
where, and it tells when, how, how much, and
why.
– It establishes the framework that leads to
corresponding decisions on the location, capacity,
and timing of roads water and sewer line, school,
health centers parks, and other public services
and facilities.
– It provides opportunities for adequate housing ,
shopping, areas, and economic development
– It provides for the protection of key environmental
area and resources.
• There is no precise time sequence in which a land use
planning effort is conducted in relationship to the timing of
other part of a comprehensive planning process
The sequence depend on:
– What plan elements are already available; on budgetary,
scheduling and political constraints;
The preparation of a lad use plan include
• A population study
• An economic-base study
• An environmental analysis
• An identification of community issues , goals, and objective
comprehensive plan element other than the land use plan (such
as transportation, utilities, and public facilities )
• Plans for subareas (neighborhood, business center,
industrial districts, or conservation areas)
• Special-purpose functional plans (those for housing or
recreation)
The land use planning process
Consists of three steps
1. Where you are
2. Where you want to go, and
3. How to get there
The sequence in which 10 steps shown in the diagram occur
will vary, as will the extent to which they deal with land
use as a separate issue or as a part of a more inclusive
planning process
Fig -1 Typical land use planning process
The type of information used as input to a land use
plan can be divided broadly into three categories
1. Existing condition
– Base maps, survey of existing land use, existing zoning, land
ownership patterns
– Existing major thoroughfares and other transportation
facilities
– Existing public utilities (especially sewer and water )
– Other existing public facilities and services (fire protection,
police protection , schools, hospitals, civic centers, libraries,
etc)
– Environmental conditions and constraint(topography,
hydrology, soil types, vulnerable, or nonrenewable resources,
etc)
2. Studies
–Population forecast: e.g., the magnitude of future population by 5-
year increments and by age, sex, race, household size, household
income, and occupation
–Economic- base study: the characteristics, strength, and weaknesses
of the community’s present economy; an analysis of needs; and
forecasts and policies regarding relevant economic sectors (e.g.,
retail trade, wholesale trade, services , finance, transportation, and
manufacturing)
3. Plans
–Community goals, objectives, and development or redevelopment
policies
–Earlier land use plans
– Major thoroughfare and other transportation plans
– Public utility plans (especially sewer and water)
– Plans for other public facilities and services (fire protection,
police protection, schools, hospitals, parks, civic centers,
libraries, etc.)
– Environmental conservation plans (watershed, protection,
flood control, wildlife preserves, etc..)
– Economic development planes and programs
– Regional and state plans
– Plans for other cites and countries in the region
– Plans for individual neighborhoods, activity centers, corridors, or
other subareas
– Private development and redevelopment project plans
– Public development and redevelopment project plans
Survey and analysis of the existing land use
pattern
The land use planning process should begin with an understanding
of an existing land use survey, which normally consists of:
1. A map with colors or patterns denoting various land use categories
2. A quantitative analysis of how much land exists in each category,
further subdivided by geographical subareas; and
3. A text that analyzes the findings
The existing land use survey can be compiled from various sources, such
as recent aerial photograph, tax record (a first-draft survey map)
and field reconnaissance by auto or on foot (used to verify, correct,
and refine the information
Typical criteria that may be used in selecting a preferred alternative
land use plan:
• How well does the plan satisfy the adopted goals and policies?
• Is the plan publicly acceptable or is it something that people will simply not go
along with?
• How much will the plan cost to implement, and where will the money come
from?
• What are the social consequence of the plan? Does it help or hinder people’s
abilities to relate well each other and to get along together? How well does it
protect and enhance individual freedom of choice and opportunity?
• what is the impact on the private economy?
• What are the environmental impact of the plan? For instance, will it destroy
irreplaceable resource ,pollute the rivers, and streams, or cause an
unreasonable level of air pollution?
• How well do transportation and other public infrastructure system perform
under the plan?
• How much land does the plan consume?
• What is the community’s ability to implement the plan
Categories of land use planning tools ( i.e., ways to
implement plans):
1. Provision of public facilities.
They are provided especially through capital improvements
programming and through the preservation or advance
acquisition of public lands and right-of-way
2. Development regulations. Zoning ordinances, sub division
regulations and other development codes can be ensure that
private development complies with certain standards and is
located in areas that are consistent with land use plan.
3. Persuasion, leadership, and coordination
4. The Land use plan (periodically to review, revise, and readopt
the plan)
Development regulation
• Zoning ordinances: consists of a map (or series of maps) and text. The
map divide the community into district, and the text lists the type of
uses permitted in each district. The regulation may establish the
following: the minimum lot sizes; the allowable size, shape, and height
of structure; the maximum density of development; minimum set
back, signs, off-street parking, landscape, and building appearance,
• Rezoning which may occur when a property owner is dissatisfied with
his or her zoning classification and applies for another classification
• Many of the traditional zoning ordinances include the following types
of districts:
– Agricultural
– Residential (single, two, multifamily)
– Office - institutional
– Commercial (local, general, )
– Manufacturing
The participants in land use planning and
implementation
Conclusion:
As a rule, it is better to offer as much
opportunity for participation as possible. The
only plans that people really believe are the
plans that people make themselves