City Planners Critical of Outdated Land-Use Laws
12/13/99
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Title: Planners critical of land-use laws; Report claims half of
states use legislation from 1920s
Source: The Associated Press
Status: Copyright 1999, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: December 13, 1999
WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 - Failure to modernize land use laws could leave
communities across the nation ill-equipped for growth in the 21st
century, according to a report out Monday. The American Planning
Association reports that only six states have effectively revamped
their development policies.
"ROUGHLY HALF the states are using planning legislation based on
1920s models," said Stuart Meck, principal investigator for the APA's
Growing Smart project.
The guidelines developed by the federal government assured that
residential neighborhoods were separated from industrial and
commercial areas. They became the framework for zoning ordinances
still in use in most cities and older suburbs.
The report, entitled "Planning Communities for the 21st Century,"
cites Maryland, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee and
Washington as states moving aggressively to deal with land use
issues. Those states now require local governments to develop land
use plans in conjunction with state agencies and regional planning
commissions.
Maryland has set aside 13 percent of its land as open space, and New
Jersey has established 20 watershed management areas. Oregon's
efforts have focused on developing a rail system and other ways to
get motorists to leave their cars at home.
State lawmakers nationwide considered about 1,000 planning statute
reforms this year, and about 200 bills were enacted. APA officials
described the patchwork of legislation as "a piecemeal approach"
toward dealing with growth.
Many of the measures enacted included incentives for rebuilding
blighted urban neighborhoods and aging suburbs to take advantage of
underused water and sewer lines, roads and schools.
"This capacity is just sitting there and should be used," said Meck.
The researcher cited thousands of new housing units built along
Chicago's South Loop in recent years as one example of how
neighborhoods can be renewed.
"Many of the changes are aimed at adding flexibility to outdated
zoning regulations," said Patty Salkin, director of the Government
Law Center at Albany Law School in New York.
Planners contend that older communities must be allowed to pursue
mixed-use development "to make it easier for people to live close to
where they work," Salkin said.