Land-Use

LAND-USE

In many rural settings natural resources and high-valued environments are under constant threat from further development. Regional jurisdictions require comprehensive tools in order to soundly manage land-use that preserves and promotes the integrity of the landscape. Serious examination of rural land-use issues can produce "smart systems", designed for regional application that can significantly enhance the abilities of jurisdictions to make sound decisions on land-use planning and sustainable development.

Merging tenets from geography, sociology, economics, and ecology, a landscape ecology approach helps us understand how humans interact with the built and natural environment to ensure sustainable land-use and protection of natural resources and cultural assets. We find this to be the most comprehensive way of conserving watershed natural resources. Landscape ecology seeks to improve community and government management of critical biodiversity lands at an eco- regional/watershed scale and focuses on creating economic and social incentives for local natural resource conservation and open space preservation, as well as guide future development of rural land.

Smart Growth America - Smart Growth America is a coalition of nearly 100 advocacy organizations that have a stake in how metropolitan expansion affects our environment, quality of life and economic sustainability. Our diverse coalition partners include national, state and local groups working on behalf of the environment, historic preservation, social equity, land conservation, neighborhood redevelopment, farmland protection, labor, town planning … and we’re growing all the time.

Sprawl Kills - Learn the truth about urban sprawl, land use, surburbia, automobile addiction, active living, the sprawl industry, the sprawl lobby, and the Healthy Places alternative to sprawl to improve your quality of life and physical and mental health.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Encouraging Smart Growth - Smart growth is development that serves the economy, the community, and the environment. It changes the terms of the development debate away from the traditional growth/no growth question to "how and where should new development be accommodated." "Smart growth is about being good stewards of our communities and of our rural lands, parks, and forests. It is about ensuring that the best of the past is preserved, while creating new communities that are attractive, vital, and enduring." Michael Leavitt, EPA Administrator.

New Urban News - New Urban News is a professional newsletter for planners, developers, architects, builders, public officials and others who are interested in the creation of human-scale communities.

Natural Resources Defense Council - Sprawling land development is gobbling up the American countryside at an alarming rate -- around 365 acres per hour according to government figures. In most communities the amount of developed land is growing faster than the population. This pattern of growth forces us to be overly dependent on automobiles, increasing the pollution and damage they cause. It also destroys farmland and open spaces and pollutes more and more watersheds. At the same time it contributes to a range of serious social problems, particularly for urban populations left behind. In response to these trends, citizens, public interest groups and all levels of government have begun to develop smart-growth solutions to revitalize our cities, promote more compact and transit-oriented development, and conserve open space.

Smart Growth Network - In 1996, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency joined with several non-profit and government organizations to form the Smart Growth Network (SGN). The Network was formed in response to increasing community concerns about the need for new ways to grow that boost the economy, protect the environment, and enhance community vitality. The Network's partners include environmental groups, historic preservation organizations, professional organizations, developers, real estate interests; local and state government entities.

EarthFuture: A Sustainable Scorecard for new Builders - A Sustainability Scorecard that can be applied to development plans and applications for new developments, and used as an educational tool by planners, developers, councilors, and the public.

National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture - The National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture, Inc. is dedicated to educating the public on the importance of a sustainable food and agriculture system that is economically viable, environmentally sound, socially just, and humane.

Slow Food - Recognizing that the enjoyment of wholesome food is essential to the pursuit of happiness, Slow Food U.S.A. is an educational organization dedicated to promoting stewardship of the land and ecologically sound food production; reviving the kitchen and the table as the centers of pleasure, culture, and community; invigorating and proliferating regional, seasonal culinary traditions; creating a collaborative, ecologically-oriented, and virtuous globalization; and living a slower and more harmonious rhythm of life.

Wildlands Conservancy – The mission of the organization is to preserve, protect, and enhance the land, water, ecological, and recreational resources of the region. The Conservancy fulfills its vision and mission through involvement – with many partners – in broad-based educational programs, various land-protection and stewardship strategies, science-informed water quality and ecological restoration projects, comprehensive community planning efforts, plus greenway and recreational trail development.

Creating the Space for Good Things to Grow - Our urban environment faces some significant challenges. But they are challenges D.C. Greenworks is meeting head on, responding with innovative programs and technologies designed to advance and safeguard the city’s urban ecosystem. A nonprofit organization that operates as a social enterprise, DCG takes an entrepreneurial approach, working hand-in-hand with community leaders, inner-city residents, neighborhood organizations, and small businesses to leverage grassroots participation and bring about creative solutions and improved community outcomes. DCG sees a vital connection between ecology and economy, between employment potential and environmental sustainability. We actively seek to discover, promote, and deliver cutting-edge solutions that are cost-effective, eco-friendly, and socially beneficial.