Established low-density land use development patterns are characterized by expansive urbanization of the landscape. Concurrent effects associated with this present development pattern are declining existing urbanized areas, increasing conversion of open space, and high public service and infrastructure costs. Maryland's adoption of the Smart Growth legislative initiatives marks a potential advancement in the continuing evolution of government policies and programs designed to reduce inefficiencies by planning and managing growth at the state level. The Smart Growth programs are designed to augment, and work in concert with, previously implemented state growth management strategies, including local water and sewer and comprehensive planning. Maryland's ability to effectively direct and control growth in a desirable manner depends on the integrity and support of each of these planning program elements. This thesis recognizes the considerable influence that the provision of water and sewer services exerts on developing urban growth patterns and the increased relevance of water and sewer planning with respect to Smart Growth legislation. Evaluative research, designed to measure water and sewer plan regulatory conformance, demonstrates that locally adopted water and sewer plans exhibit widespread deficiencies in terms of state agency regulatory requirements. The revealed extent and prevalence of water and sewer plan inadequacies indicate that these documents are incapable of providing state administrators the information necessary to accurately determine existing and planned municipal sewer service, as anticipated by the legislation. The fact that legislation requires state agency approval of water and sewer plans prior to their adoption and that adopted plans exhibit deficiencies suggests problems associated with the current plan approval process. This thesis reviews the institutional procedures by which water and sewer plans are developed and approved in order to illustrate formal and informal organizational processes operable to water and sewer plan development. In addition, this thesis offers recommendations designed to enhance the current approval process, so as to lead to the development of effective water and sewer plans and facilitate successful implementation of related Smart Growth programs. / Master of Urban and Regional Planning

This study uses data on the fast-growing peripheral counties located in the 50 largest metropolitan areas to test the null hypothesis that counties located on the metropolitan fringe are demographically homogenous. Using multivariate analysis, the analysis statistically identifies distinct groups of counties in the metropolitan fringe. In contrast to much of the standard literature, the research rejects the null hypothesis and suggests that more than one exurbia exists. This study also explores the varying pressures and demands faced by the different exurban county types in response to massive and compounding growth stresses, recognizing the complexity of managing growth in the fringe and the implications for planners. It is expected that counties identified as "similar" will experience common-responses to different programs and policies addressing growth pressures. Similar counties should therefore use these results to facilitate information exchange concerning successful or unsuccessful strategies. / Master of Urban and Regional Planning

This research examines the emergence of cycling-supportive land-use and transportation policies in Ontario and Hamilton, Ontario between 1990 and 2016. The focus of this thesis is on two questions that have been unexplored in previous research: (1) what cycling-supportive policies emerged in Provincial and Municipal government during this time?; and (2) what role, if any, did the Provincial position on cycling play in the development of Hamilton, Ontario cycling policies? A primary and secondary document review was undertaken to identify patterns between historical Provincial and Municipal policies. Three types of results are presented: (1) an examination of amendments to the Ontario Planning Act, emphasizing its effect on the role of policy in Ontario, the structure of the Ontario planning system, and on Municipal conformity; (2) a detailed review of emergent cycling-supportive policies and trends in Ontario and Hamilton, Ontario between 1990 and 2016; and (3) an analysis of evidence showing the influence of Provincial cycling-supportive policies on Hamilton plan policies. This research concludes that (1) novel cycling-supportive policies have emerged at both the Municipal and Provincial levels during the research period, and (2) evidence exists that Provincial land-use and transportation policies have influenced Hamilton’s cycling policy over the research period. / February 2017

The contemporary urban development pattern in the United States is characterized by land consumptive nature of development, such as a sprawled development pattern. Out of concern that the social and environmental costs of this development pattern outweigh their benefits, cities, counties and states have created a wide range of policy instruments designed to manage urban growth and to protect open spaces from development. The present research deals with such strategies in three study areas namely Portland Metropolitan Area, OR; Montgomery County, MD; and Orange County, FL in order to find out if growth management strategies have been able to reduce sprawl and promote a compact form of development. Based mainly on secondary sources of information, the research evaluates the characteristics, effectiveness, strengths and weaknesses of selected growth management strategies employed in each of these areas and analyses their implications for promoting a compact form of development.

Oregon's Statewide Planning Goals embody Smart Growth in their effort to revitalize urban areas, finance environmentally responsible transportation systems, provide housing options, and protect natural resources; yet the State defers to its municipalities to implement this planning framework. This research focuses on Goal 14 (Urbanization), linking most directly to Smart Growth Principle 7 (Strengthen and Direct Development toward Existing Communities). It assesses Eugene's, Keizer's, Salem's, and Springfield's growth management policies that specifically target infill development of single family homes against this Goal and Principle. Though these municipalities must demonstrate consistency with the same Goals (see Supplemental File 1 for this context), this research questions whether sufficiently different policy approaches to curtailing sprawl yield significantly different results. The primary analytical method is a logistic regression that uses parcel-level data to understand how administration affects development by isolating these policies' direct effects on observed outcomes (see Supplemental File 2 for this theory).

The effects of expansion of cities on the fringe area are still the common problems of several countries as well as Turkey. The main problem stemming from rapid urban growth was described as urban sprawl that has been used as waste of land, time, and natural resources. Although sprawl becomes usually unplanned, uncontrolled, and uncoordinated, it can be claimed that some local and national government policies triggers the urban sprawl by creating planned areas more than required. The growth management policies are utilized to provide a responsible balance between development and the infrastructure needed to manage the impacts of development and to control urban sprawl. Four types of urban containment techniques have been used in several countries to control urban sprawl according to fundamental purposes of where to grow and where not to grow. These are greenbelt, urban growth boundary, urban service area and adjacent area. The main objective of this thesis is to investigate the impacts of urban growth on physical development of metropolitan cities and to critically evaluate the raison d&#039 / &ecirc / tre and changing meaning of adjacent areas concept in Turkish urban planning experience in a historical context. Ankara planning experiences are examined as a case study to what extent adjacent area is a functional and effective tool to control sprawl.

No description available.

This dissertation introduces a new theory of practice for land planning in America based on behavioralism. It is called culture based incentive planning, or CBIP. The CBIP model and techniques are based on four pillars: cultural snesitivity, behavior analysis, engineered incentive regimes, and the tools of persuasion. CBIP is designed to provide an adaptable framework from which to approch regulatory reform in planning. The framework is applicable to the full range of planning implementation strategies from commond and control to market-based approaches. CBIP, as a systems model, has been engineered to create a cooperative rather than adversarial relationship between government and the regulated community by recognizing issues of cultural sensitivity, market response, and behavioral motivations. Under the model, effective implementation of planning objectives is directly tied to the role that incentives play in human behavior. Based on the foundation of incentive theory, CBIP integrates a variety of principles and techniques from applied behavior analysis and behavioral economics to align incentives that drive personal behavior with public planning objectives. CBIP utiliizes a variety of incentives in planning practice including economic, process, lifestyle, social, behavioral, and technical assistance inducements. / Ph. D.

This thesis investigates the role of open space planning within the context of a growth management planning philosophy. For contextual framing, the principles of growth management are presented followed by tools and techniques used in preserving open space. The literature review chapter concludes with a look at the development of an open space plan. To bound the scope of this paper, the focus is on open space preserved for passive and active recreation and natural conservation. Montgomery County, Maryland is used as a case example. The qualitative data comes from interviews with planning personnel from the community and park planning departments. As part of the process, the relationship and roles between these two departments regarding open space preservation are explored. This case study helps us to understand what Montgomery County has learned from the past that is influencing the open space preservation for tomorrow. / Master of Landscape Architecture

A fundamental purpose of state-mandated growth management has been to infuse regional environmental concerns into local land use planning. Similarly, collaborative ecosystem planning efforts have attempted to encourage local communities to participate in regional planning efforts, and to adopt regional environmental goals and objectives into local land use plans. This paper presents results from a study of state-mandated local planning and collaborative regional planning, addressing in particular local ability to adopt and implement ecosystem planning initiatives for development management. I found that a state mandate not only achieves plans from communities that would not otherwise plan, but also the plans produced are of higher quality than plans made voluntarily without a mandate. However, while these plans generally acknowledge the need for regional resource protection, local plans are rarely go beyond stating support for State minimum resource protection rules. Conversely, I found that participation in a regional ecosystem planning effort had little effect on local land use policy. Within this context, key factors yielding more environmentally focused planning and implementation included local commitment to ecosystem planning, development pressure, and recent natural hazard impacts. Key factors steering communities away from ecosystem management included poor economic conditions, a desire to maintain local autonomy, and consultant-driven planning processes. Challenges for all communities include the ability to adopt policies that address biodiversity and regionally significant landscapes.