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Land use decisions determine the location and design of agricultural, industrial, residential or commercial land. The design of your community and the location of where you live influences how long your commute is, whether you can walk to a commercial center and whether there are nearby parks for recreation. Poor land use decisions have lead to sprawl, traffic congestion and health problems such as asthma and obesity. There are decisions about how land is used that offer a variety of transportation alternatives: walking, biking, taking transit or driving. These smart growth choices lead to shorter commutes, healthy and active lives, less air and water pollution and more open space.
Local governments make land
use decisions through comprehensive/master plans, zoning ordinances, and
project approvals. Land use plans are available from every county and
city.
More on Land Use:
History
Solutions
Contacts
Related Issues:
Adequate Public Facilities Ordinances (APFO)
A
Region Divided
Balanced Land Use Initiative (BLU)
New Urbanism
Open Space
Reality Check
Sprawl
Transit-Oriented Development (TOD)
More Information:
"Land
Use and Health" (envirohealthaction)
Land
Use Code in Montgomery County (MC-MNCPPC)
Plans and Ordinances
Zoning
Code Ordinance in Montgomery County (MC-MNCPP)
"A
Citizen's Guide to Planning and Zoning in Virginia"
(Chesapeake Bay Foundation Publication)
More
Highways = More Air Pollution
*Click here for a list of Additional Resources
