Understanding how our built environment changes over time can help us plan for more sustainable communities.
Policies encouraging mixed-use and dense development often seem at odds with conservation and preservation initiatives. However, numerous studies have shown that sustainable development principles (e.g., "smart growth," "low-impact development") can help mitigate the externalities associated with growth on the natural environment.
By partnering with area academic institutions and local community representatives, this 2-year study will combine research methods and insights from SRPEDD-area planning practitioners to examine how "land use" - the legal classification of a parcel - interacts with "land cover" - the physical features of an area. The resulting analysis will provide a clearer picture for regional decision-makers as they navigate land use and zoning changes, development and permitting procedures, and long-range planning.
