Anna Haines

Zoning for Sustainability: A Review and Analysis of the Zoning Ordinances of 32 Cities in the United States

Problem, research strategy, and findings: To understand how communities use zoning ordinances to achieve sustainability goals, we identify nine sustainability principles and 53 associated regulatory items that might be included in a zoning ordinance to achieve sustainable development and then examine the zoning ordinances of 32 randomly selected communities to determine if they included these principles and their associated items. We find both wide variation and some consistency in how zoning ordinances address sustainability goals, independent of city size or location in the country. Some of the identified principles and regulatory items are found in many ordinances; others appear in only a few. However, there is an inverse relationship between the age of the ordinance and the extent to which it includes sustainability principles. As ordinances are updated, it is likely that they will address more topical sustainability concerns. We study only ordinance content, not implementation; moreover, sustainability can be achieved in ways other than zoning. However, zoning ordinances that directly address sustainability in many dimensions are more likely to achieve these goals. We conclude that planners can more effectively use zoning ordinances to achieve sustainable development. Takeaway for practice: This review of zoning ordinances can alert local planners to the many ways in which zoning ordinances could be used to achieve sustainability goals and suggest how planners can assess the contribution of their zoning ordinance to the sustainable development of their communities.

Factors Influencing Parcelization in Amenity-Rich Rural Areas

The process of rural parcelization provides an ongoing challenge for planners targeting both habitat and farmland preservation. An understanding of which landscape features influence parcelization can help planners create more nuanced land division and zoning ordinances. We used GIS to reconstruct a historical parcel database for three towns in Wisconsin and then developed a logistic regression model to determine the extent to which parcel characteristics influence parcel subdivision. Influential predictors included proximity to roads, water, and agricultural areas as well as parcel size.

The Role of Assets in Community-Based Development

C development has its roots in several academic disciplines, including sociology, economics, political science, planning, social work, and even architecture. The interdisciplinary approach of community development has many advantages, but it also presents analytical problems. It lacks a common language, a conceptual framework, or a set of agreed-upon issues and problems. Community development is frequently driven more by practice than by theory. There also is considerable debate among practitioners whether community development is primarily a process or an outcome. Community development has always had a diverse set of objectives: solving local problems (e.g., unemployment and poverty), addressing inequalities of wealth and power, promoting democracy, and building a sense of community (Rubin & Rubin, 1992). As a result, it has been defined in a variety of ways, including local economic development, political empowerment, service provision, housing programs, comprehensive planning, and job training. In this book, we do not overcome this ambiguity, but we define some of the major concepts and issues for which there is considerable agreement in the community development field today. We believe the asset approach offers the best potential for providing a common conceptual basis for community development theory and for practitioners. We begin with one of the most slippery terms—community.

Framing Cultural Resource Policies in Comprehensive Plans A Neo-Institutional Analysis

In the United States, local governments have developed cultural policies, integrating them into the overall policy-making process. Although the research on cultural projects in urban development continues to grow, very few studies focus on American cities. Using a lens based on neo-institutional theory, this study traces the way Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin, framed policies for arts and culture in their comprehensive plans. One major finding shows that State law with its focus on historic preservation heavily influences policies for arts and culture within comprehensive plans. Left out are policies pertaining to creative industries, despite their increased consideration in cultural policy.