It's a fact. The zoning problem you're struggling with today has probably already been solved by somebody else. But how can you find out what's working without spending a lot of your valuable time?

Zoning Practice isn't just an interesting read. It's a toolbox chock full of information geared to inform and inspire, and to implement by planners for the purpose of smarter land-use practice.

Current Issues

October 2009

Safe Growth Audits

As communities grow and develop, they may become more vulnerable to natural hazards. The purpose of a safe growth audit is to analyze the impacts of current policies, ordinances, and plans on community safety from hazard risks due to growth. This article outlines the principles of safe growth and includes a list of basic safe growth audit questions.

Author David Godschalk, FAICP, is professor emeritus of city and regional planning at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. The article is drawn from material he prepared for APA for an upcoming PAS Report, Integrating Hazard Mitigation into Local Planning, funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

September 2009

Is Your Community TDR-Ready?

Adopting a TDR program can be a long, labor-intensive process when it requires increases in the development limits depicted in a community’s current general plan. However, many communities prefer a TDR mechanism that requires no changes in the future density described in their general plans (typically depicted in future land-use maps or general plan maps). This article defines the concept of plan-consistent TDR and includes a diagnostic tool for communities to see if they are ready for TDR.

Author Rick Pruetz, FAICP, is a planning consultant specializing in TDR and the author of Beyond Takings and Givings (Arje Press, 2003), a book on TDR. Author Noah Standridge is president of Centrus Planning, a consulting firm providing rural planning strategies throughout Florida.