Arthur C. Nelson

Preserving Prime Farmland in the Face of Urbanization: Lessons from Oregon

Abstract This article combines theory and a literature review with empirical and descriptive findings to demonstrate that Oregons mix of policies is effective in preserving prime farmland in the face of urbanization. Exclusive farm use zones preserve farmland for farming; urban growth boundaries limit urban sprawl; exurban districts accommodate the demand for rural residential development without harming commercial farm operations; farm tax deferral and right-to-farm laws create incentives for farmers to keep farming; and comprehensive plans legitimize the entire package. This article proposes a comprehensive scheme for farmland preservation that expands on the experience of Oregon, including its mistakes.

The new 'burbs: the exurbs and their implications for planning policy

Abstract The exurbs are currently home to sixty million Americans, and may be home to more people than urban, suburban, or rural areas are by early in the next century. Planners may be unprepared to address the special needs and challenges presented by the exurbs, because the tools that planners use to manage cities, suburbs, and rural areas may be inappropriate. Before planners can respond adequately to the challenge of exurban development, they must first understand who lives there and why. Using a case study of the Portland, Oregon area, we find that although ex-urbanites have many socio-economic characteristics in common with suburbanites, they prefer a different lifestyle. This lifestyle includes rural amenities, large house lots, and longer drives to work. We also find substantial differences between exurbanites living in small towns and those living in rural areas.

IF YOU BUILD THEM, COMMUTERS WILL USE THEM: ASSOCIATION BETWEEN BICYCLE FACILITIES AND BICYCLE COMMUTING

Conventional wisdom suggests that if bicycle pathways are provided, people will use them. This assertion is based on a combination of anecdotes, a few case studies, and mostly wishful thinking. Until now, there have been no cross-sectional studies of the association between bicycle pathway supply and commuting by bicycle that control for a variety of factors. Cross-sectional analysis, controlling for a variety of extraneous factors, can help to attribute differences in bicycle commuting to the overall supply of pathways. Cross-sectional data are applied here to 18 U. S. cities to help fill this gap in research. After considering such factors as weather, terrain, and number of college students, a positive association was found between miles of bicycle pathways per 100,000 residents and the percentage of commuters using bicycles. It is speculated that one problem with shifting the mode of commuting away from automobiles may simply be an inadequate supply of bicycle facilities. Although this work is the first of its kind, more systematic research is needed to confirm its findings.

Plan Quality and Mitigating Damage from Natural Disasters: A Case Study of the Northridge Earthquake with Planning Policy Considerations

Abstract Planners have long believed as an article of faith that land use planning can reduce damage from natural hazards. After evaluating the relationship between the seismic safety elements of comprehensive plans prepared in the Los Angeles region of California and damage caused by the 1994 North-ridge earthquake, we provide evidence that this faith is not misplaced. The State of California requires every local government to include a seismic safety element in its comprehensive land use plan. The 1994 Northridge earthquake provided an opportunity to evaluate the extent to which the quality of state-mandated, locally prepared seismic safety elements reduce earthquake damage. We found that fewer homes were damaged when local governments had developed high-quality factual bases, formulated goals for improving seismic safety, crafted regulatory policies to manage development in hazardous areas, and advanced policies that made the public aware of seismic risks. We conclude that including a high-quality seismic safety element in land use plans can reduce property damage associated with seismic events. Our work has broad implications for land use planning.

Urban containment policies and housing prices: an international comparison with implications for future research

Abstract Policies of urban containment are widely used in land-use planning and as a means of reducing urban sprawl and of preserving farmland. This paper reviews the current state of knowledge about the effects of urban-containment boundaries on house prices. It is concluded that urban containment programs do affect land prices, and that housing producers do not always respond to higher land prices by increasing the density of development. In relation to aggregate housing prices, the effects of urban containment policy depend on factors such as style of policy implementation, local housing markets, and pattern of land ownership. The demand side of the housing market may be a stronger determinant of prices than local urban containment policies. Nevertheless, it is concluded that local planners can play a significant role in relation to the severity of housing price inflation attributable to urban containment policies.

Comparing states with and without growth management Analysis based on indicators with policy implications

Abstract In 1973, Oregon adopted its Land Use Act. Florida adopted its Growth Management Acts during 1985 and 1986. Both Oregon and Florida aim to prevent urban sprawl, preserve farmland, improve accessibility, make transit a more viable option, reduce energy needs, and minimize tax burdens. Are they effective? Relative to a reasonably comparable state without growth management, Georgia, nearly all indicators developed in this study show that the growth-management efforts of Florida and Oregon are effective. Policy implications are offered.

Leadership in a New Era: Comment on “Planning Leadership in a New Era”

Abstract More than half of the built environment of the United States we will see in 2025 did not exist in 2000, giving planners an unprecedented opportunity to reshape the landscape. The Federal Housing Acts 701 planning grant program reflected the concerns and attitudes of the first half of the 20th century, and that template shaped Americas suburbs, accounting for three-quarters of the nations growth between 1950 and 2000. The realities of the 21st century are different: Our newest public health concerns relate to low-density, single-purpose development, not the dangers of density; only about a quarter of all households will have children in 2025; and public sentiment increasingly favors integrating land uses. Changes like these will drive the rebuilding of much of Americas built environment. For planning to succeed in this new era, I argue that we must understand future demand across all land uses, realistically assess opportunities for redeveloping existing urbanized areas, remove constraints on land use that are inconsistent with modern planning goals, and champion the financial incentives and institutional changes that will make it possible to meet future needs.

Using land markets to evaluate urban containment programs.

Abstract This article develops a theory of how urban containment programs should influence the regional land market, and then it develops a model to apply the theory to a case study. The results are threefold. First, the urban containment program employed by Salem, Oregon, separates the regional land market into urban and rural components. Second, by making greenbelts out of privately held farmland, the program prevents speculation of farmland in the regional land market. Third, greenbelts add an amenity value to urban land near them. The article suggests several policy implications that arise from the theory and case study.

The Exurbanization of America and Its Planning Policy Implications

There is considerable evidence of continued population deconcentra tion in the continental United States. It has created, among other things, a new form of development, which we call exurbanization. In this paper we suggest the magnitude of exur banization in both spatial and popu lation terms, identify many of the reasons for the locational behavior of exurban households, and present some notable planning policy impli cations. We ask our planning col leagues to comprehensively investi gate this new form of urban development. The risks to ignoring the nature, causes, consequences, and policy implications of exurbani zation are great.

Relationship between urban sprawl and physical activity, obesity, and morbidity - update and refinement.

AIMS This study aims to model multiple health outcomes and behaviors in terms of the updated, refined, and validated county compactness/sprawl measures. METHODS Multiple health outcomes and behaviors are modeled using multi-level analysis. RESULTS After controlling for observed confounding influences, both original and new compactness measures are negatively related to BMI, obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Indices are not significantly related to physical activity, perhaps because physical activity is not defined broadly to include active travel to work, shopping, and other destinations. CONCLUSIONS Developing urban and suburban areas in a more compact manner may have some salutary effect on obesity and chronic disease trends.