Emily Wortman-Wunder looks at the effectiveness of conservation development - a popular tool used by planners across the rural West for the purposes of preserving open space.
Wortman-Wunder investigates the growing application of conservation development or Land Preservation Subdivision (LPS) ordinances - in which developers are given density bonuses for leaving 40 to 80 percent of a typical rural parcel as open space - which "seem to offer a way for mountain communities to have it all."
With an estimated
10 million acres across the U.S. preserved using conservation development since the 1960s, Wortman-Wunder questions the goals of such practices, and what they achieve.
For example, Sarah Reed, a conservation biologist with Colorado State University
and the Wildlife Conservation Society, found that, "While over a third of the
counties [in 11 western states] had regulations that promoted some form of conservation
development, many did so in ways unlikely to preserve critical wildlife
habitat or other natural values. Few promoted land stewardship, or
ensured that open space parcels were contiguous within or among
developments."
Questions also surround the basis for deciding which areas are allowed to be developed and which preserved, management of the conserved land, and lot size. "All of these issues contribute to a growing sense that clustered
development is not living up to its promise," writes Wortman-Wunder.
Thanks to Anthony Flint
FULL STORY: Do subdivisions designed for conservation actually help wildlife?

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?
Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands
For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

California Homeless Arrests, Citations Spike After Ruling
An investigation reveals that anti-homeless actions increased up to 500% after Grants Pass v. Johnson — even in cities claiming no policy change.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)