Sustainable Land Use Planning
Community Infrastructure
Creating Sustainable Communities
Land use planning impacts many aspects of a person's daily lives. The types of land use in a community impacts a variety of factors from fiscal sustainability to the health of citizens. Smart land use planning makes the most of existing infrastructure and is part of a larger regional vision of quality of life. Land use decisions should support the following sustainable community principles:
- Mix land uses
- Take advantage of compact building design
- Create housing opportunities and choices
- Create walkable communities
- Foster distinctive, attractive communities with a strong sense of place
- Preserve open space, farmland, natural beauty, and critical environmental areas
- Strengthen and direct development toward existing communities
- Provide a variety of transportation choices
- Make development decisions predictable, fair, and cost-effective
- Encourage community and stakeholder collaboration in development decisions