Land Use

Opportunity Area #29 – Promote Green and Holistic Development

Optimum balance of a built community with its natural environment can be achieved when development occurs while sustaining natural systems. This balance requires fully understanding the components of a natural system and supporting development in a way that avoids harm, or even complements this system.

Policy Recommendations

29.A Local planning controls should acknowledge productive farmland and agricultural activities as valued land uses.

29.B Local planning controls should encourage new development to be integrated with the natural landscape.

29.C Local planning efforts should evaluate park and recreation needs and encourage their locations in proximity and appropriate scale for all residential areas.

29.D Local comprehensive planning should allow for appropriate density and concentration of uses to create more open spaces.

29.E Communities should begin planning for the adaptive reuse of unused parking into other uses, including greenspace that improves stormwater infiltration on the site.

29.F Local governments should incentivize the use of construction materials that are environmentally friendly and require the least amount of material to perform the necessary function.

29.G Local comprehensive plans should promote and prioritize the preservation of environmental assets in development decisions and avoid post-development mitigation.

29.H Local governments should evaluate their site lighting requirements and include dark sky concepts for commercial development.