Although Earth covers an area of 57,308,738 square miles, only a portion can support human settlement. Land use planning is the practice by which a government entity oversees development by restricting what can be built where.
The City undertakes strategic planning without formal links between this process and ULURP review process – an issue for local residents because this makes the process less transparent.
Population Growth
People need places to live, work and play. Without proper land use planning, transportation would become unreliable and businesses inefficient; without it also comes flooding and other disasters that adversely affect residents’ quality of life.
Communities have traditionally relied on zoning laws to regulate industrial expansion and housing construction. Proponents of strict adherence to zoning laws say it protects sensitive areas from development; for example, construction in Florida Everglades decimates its ecological system and can cause devastating mudslides.
Population growth increases the relative value of developed land relative to agricultural and forestland land, prompting urban expansion rates to accelerate. Factors driving urban expansion vary based on geography, economic development, governance structure and governance structure – these differences can be exploited through policies targeting either population or economic growth; examples include spatial economic planning (aimed at creating agglomeration economies through firm location choices within cities) and form-based codes.
Economic Development
Land Use Planning is often confused with urban planning; however, its application extends beyond city limits to rural communities as well. According to the Canadian Institute of Planners’ definition of Land Use Planning: It involves “the systematic, aesthetic and orderly disposition of land resources facilities and services in such a way as to maximize physical economic and social efficiency and welfare in both urban and rural communities”.
Land use planning encompasses numerous objectives, such as environmental conservation, urban sprawl control, reduced transport costs and the prevention of conflicts between various land uses. These goals can often be reached via comprehensive plans which outline future distribution of space within an applicable planning jurisdiction and then codify them with zoning codes to become law.
Land use planning not only protects the environment but can also lead to economic development by creating affordable housing options for local residents. While most housing options today tend to focus on single-family homes or high-rise apartments, land use planning allows a wider variety of dwelling types for future generations.
Environmental Protection
Land use planning seeks to protect citizens from the consequences of development and environmental change, whether through simple efforts like preventing homes from being built on crumbling sea cliffs, or more complex initiatives like creating green spaces that offer residents fresh air and other amenities.
Land-use planning encompasses several steps, from problem identification and definition through information collection, plan formulation and review/implementation with feedback loops that allow plans to be adjusted during their implementation process.
MAES methodology has made environmental issues part of all phases of land-use planning processes, yet important issues must still be considered: the vulnerability of ecosystems must be considered; any degradation or loss of essential goods, services and functions could compromise community resilience to future stressors – an integral component of territorial resilience.
Safety
As communities develop, how people utilize the land around them can have significant repercussions for safety. For instance, homes built in flood prone areas could be damaged by surging waters from storms; and wooden frames constructed in areas subject to wildfire could be destroyed when flames spread through them.
Zoning ordinances and other community planning tools can help limit how land is utilized to prevent potential safety risks. For instance, local governments may restrict industrial activities to remote locations away from schools and housing units.
Location is another crucial component of road safety, as evidenced by the fact that accidents involving commercial activities occur three times more often than accidents related to residential activities, reflecting their greater volume of traffic and trips associated with them. This knowledge can help improve urban road safety through designing strategies and plans.