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Archive for General Planning
October is National Community Planning Month
The American Planning Association (APA) has designated this month as National Community Planning Month. Each year APA and its members, chapters, divisions, and professional institute sponsor National Community Planning Month to raise the visibility of planning efforts in communities across the U.S., and throw a spotlight on the many residents, leaders, officials, and professionals who contribute to making great communities.
I have been a supporter of this much needed opportunity for the planning profession to promote itself and the issues that we tackle on a day-to-day basis. The benefits, value and importance of good planning is something that is often forgotten or not recognized in day to day life. Usually the only time that the planning process gets any attention is when there is some controversial local issue, i.e., environmental accident or disaster, locally unwanted land uses (LULU’s), or other high stakes issue. Citizens, officials, and leaders need to be educated on planning before these situations arise in their communities and be better prepared to deal with change whatever the circumstance.
For more information on National Community Planning Month events and activities, visit:
http://www.planning.org/ncpm/index.htm
Other useful planning websites:
Cyburbia
Planetizen
Lincoln Institute of Land Policy
Smart Growth America
October is National Community Planning Month
The American Planning Association (APA) has designated this month as National Community Planning Month. Each year APA and its members, chapters, divisions, and professional institute sponsor National Community Planning Month to raise the visibility of planning efforts in communities across the U.S., and throw a spotlight on the many residents, leaders, officials, and professionals who contribute to making great communities.
I have been a supporter of this much needed opportunity for the planning profession to promote itself and the issues that we tackle on a day-to-day basis. The benefits, value and importance of good planning is something that is often forgotten or not recognized in day to day life. Usually the only time that the planning process gets any attention is when there is some controversial local issue, i.e., environmental accident or disaster, locally unwanted land uses (LULU’s), or other high stakes issue. Citizens, officials, and leaders need to be educated on planning before these situations arise in their communities and be better prepared to deal with change whatever the circumstance.
For more information on National Community Planning Month events and activities, visit:
http://www.planning.org/ncpm/index.htm
Other useful planning websites:
Cyburbia
Planetizen
Lincoln Institute of Land Policy
Smart Growth America
Smart Growth Maryland Part One: Sprawl and the smart growth movement
The Towson University Center for GIS glossary defines urban sprawl as:
a pattern of land use/land cover conversion in which the growth rate of urbanized land (land rendered impervious by development) significantly exceeds the rate of population growth over a specified time period, with a dominance of low-density impervious surfaces. Whether you agree or disagree with this definition or call it something else, it matters not for the purposes of this article. Chances are that, if your reading this, you have probably already formed your own opinion of what urban sprawl is or is not. As may also be the case with the concept of “smart growth”. Over the next few weeks, I plan to present here are some of my observations and opinions on how the State of Maryland is addressing this planning and growth issue.
Smart Growth Movement in Maryland
Article 66B of the Annotated Code of Maryland, also known as the Planning and Zoning Enabling Act, provides local jurisdiction authority over local land use and growth decisions. The law requires local governments that engage in planning acitivies, to implement and address certain visions in thier comprehensive plans. The Maryland Economic Growth, Resource Protection, and Planning Act of 1992 (the Planning Act) was enacted to organize and direct comprehensive planning, regulating, and funding by State, county, and municipal governments in furtherance of a specific economic growth and resource protection policy. The 1992 Planning Act laid the ground work for the Smart Growth movement by requiring two new elements in comprehensive plans, a sensitive areas element and a regulatory streamlining element. Since the late 1990s the State of Maryland has been making great strides implementing smart growth principles into its key planning stautes. Some would say that this Maryland “smart growth movement” began during former Governor Glendening’s administration, with the Smart Growth Priority Funding Areas Act of 1997. The legislation was an effort to, 1) reduce the impact of urban sprawl on the environment and encourage growth in existing communities, 2) to protect Maryland’s green spaces and to preserve the State’s rural areas, 3) to preserve the State’s rural areas, and 4) to manage growth by restricting State funding to designated Primary Funding Areas (PFAs). Maryland has adopted as its 10 principles of smart growth.
Next Article
Smart Growth Maryland Part Two: What’s the bid deal with annexation?
Richmond VA Blacks Were Left out of New City Plan Process
A fellow community and urban planning blogger (Urban Richmond), picked up on this story, On Racism & the Charrette. Accusations of racial exclusion in city planning charrette. This is a topic that is of great interest and importance to me, personally. I plan to follow this and hope to do some future articles on the issue of minorities not being proportionately represented in their community’s planning process. Also See: Master Plan Sessions Confront Race, Push Details from Richmond’s Style Weekly.
