Planners Book Club — March 2007

Cities in the Wilderness

Cities in the Wilderness was the March 2007 selection of APA's Planners Book Club.

The primary focus of Cities in the Wilderness is the protection and restoration, on a large scale, of our natural and cultural landscapes and ecosystems through stronger federal leadership in land-use planning. This book looks at the existing body of federal law that can and should be used toward enhanced federal leadership in land use planning and preservation and gives examples of how these laws have been used to this purpose throughout the country.

Megan Lewis, AICP, a senior research associate at APA, suggests the following discussion questions.

General

1. Do you think the time is ripe for a federal land use planning policy?

2. Do you agree with the author's premise that land preservation and conservation is of national interest and therefore a federal issue?

3. What do you think is the purpose of public lands, resource extraction and use, ranching, and grazing, or resource preservation, conservation, and wildlife habitat?

4. How do you deal with the inequities of which communities get to grow and which have to stay the same?

5. The United States is such a diverse country, especially in terms of population densities, geography, and habitat areas. Can the federal government actually develop a land conservation policy that will effectively apply to all conditions?

Politics

1. In Chapter 4, the author discusses how water issues in Arizona were addressed through a behind the scenes deal making while keeping a public facade of non-negotiation. Do you agree with the political strategy that was used, or do you think that a governor should try to lead by example, to perhaps get other governors to follow suit?

Federal Law

1. In each chapter the author discusses the effect that one or more federal laws or programs have had on the pattern of land development and conservation that we have today. Of all the laws presented, do you feel there is one law that would be best suited to serve as the guiding force behind a federal land-use planning strategy, or do you think that the whole suite of laws should be re-examined for this role?

2. The example of using the Endangered Species Act to get past local land regulation issues in Southern California showed that in some cases the federal government can use its power to trump local politics. With the general backlash against local development control in the wake of Measure 37, do you think that a heavier hand from the federal level is the solution that local governments may need to pursue smart growth strategies?

Conservation

1. A major theme in the book is the piecemeal approach to conservation that had been taken historically and the fragmented landscapes that have resulted may not always be valuable places, based on habitat needs, for example. How do we determine what land should be protected and what should be open for development?

2. The author discusses where we should "draw the line" or how to identify the "bright line", the threshold beyond which we will not accept more contamination or allow for land disturbance, for example. Is it possible to develop a bright line that will suit all regions of the country? What would it be: precipitation, TMDL measurements, acreage?

Local Practice

1. How do the issues raised in the book relate to your daily planning practice—are they on the mark with what you are addressing, or are they beyond what you feel you can address as a planner?

2. Of all the federal laws discussed, which ones, if reformed or amended, do you think would make the most difference in land development where you work?

3. An approach that EPA has been pursuing for several years is land planning on the watershed scale. Do you see watershed-based planning, coordinated with land-use planning, as an approach that could work in your community, region, or state?

Techniques

1. Federal environmental laws have historically had two mechanisms to cause change, regulations to implement the laws, and incentives to encourage compliance. Which of the two do you think is more effective, the stick or the carrot?

2. The author discusses the use of "conditions" as attached to income support for agricultural programs or to grazing permits as another type of incentive. Do you think that a conditions approach is a good direction to take?

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