In some communities and regions since the 1970s, high rates of growth have prompted concern over cost of services, adverse impacts on the environment and quality of life, and the balance between jobs and housing.  A number of states recognized these concerns and state legislatures responded.  Some states now take an active role in managing this intergovernmental dimension to ensure uniformity, fairness, and the advancement of state interests.

Our land use tools are outdated.  We need better statutory models that meet current needs. Most planning statutes in the United States descend from two model acts drafted by an advisory committee of the U.S. Department of Commerce in the 1920s, under Commerce Secretary (and later President) Herbert Hoover. In the 1920s, government was simpler and planning was a local activity, not something that was expected of all levels of government. 

There are new practical tools available to help combat urban sprawl, protect farmland, promote affordable housing, and encourage redevelopment. They appear in the American Planning Association's new Growing Smart Legislative Guidebook: Model Statutes for Planning and the Management of Change, 2002 Edition (Stuart Meck, FAICP, Gen. Editor). The Guidebook and its accompanying User Manual are the culmination of APA's seven-year Growing Smart project, an effort to draft the next generation of model planning and zoning legislation for the U.S.

A new report by the Natural Resources Defense Council, Sprawl Watch Clearinghouse and Smart Growth America says that more than a dozen states have made or are considering massive cuts to smart growth programs to address budget shortfalls. The report, entitled Smart Growth: Weathering the Storm, warns that cutting these vital programs eventually will threaten local economies, the environment and public health, and calls on state legislators to defend them. It includes a section on the importance of state planning reform and refers to APA's Planning for Smart Growth: 2002 State of the States report.

Read the Report:  Smart Growth: Weathering the Storm

Read the APA State of the States Report

Smart Codes in Your Community:  A Guide to Building Rehabilitation Codes

This report from HUD provides a thorough, easy-to-follow guide for developing “smart construction codes” that encourage alteration and reuse of existing structures.  Redeveloping underused buildings can boost local economies, revitalize neighborhoods and help meet growing demand for additional housing as well as industrial and retail space.  However, complex, outdated codes often impede the ability of many communities to rehabilitate and reuse existing buildings.  As a result, some states and localities are examining and rewriting their building codes to spur reinvestment in existing structures.

This report reviews the general regulatory environment governing reuse of existing buildings and provided examples of recent state and local efforts to reduce regulatory complexities.  To begin the process of creating “smart codes,” the report recommends creating a local stakeholders’ committee to articulate problems with a community’s current regulatory approach to renovating existing buildings.  Additional strategies include exploring other options and models and comparing these models with current local regulations.  The report also recommends that after communities adopt new rehabilitation codes, they establish follow-up procedures, such as training for code enforcement officials.  Download the report or order a copy for $5.00 at www.huduser.org/publications/destech/smartcodes.html.