Class Synopsis

 

Land Use Planning

This course will focus on land use planning as a means of articulating tribal visions and values in the development of reservation lands. Emphasis will be given to the planning process including data collection and analysis, public participation, gaining and maintaining political support, and using a plan as a decision making guide. Land use principles, implementation alternatives, and intergovernmental coordination will be covered. Particular attention will be given to land use challenges common in Indian Country such as casino, housing and commercial development; protecting sacred areas; and natural resource management.

Land use planning defined

        Location of uses

        Integration of uses

        Relation to transportation

        Development standards

        Decision making processes

        Implementation issues

Importance of land use planning

Examples of land use challenges in Indian Country

        New housing development

        Casino location

        Resort impacts on surrounding community

        Protecting sacred areas

        Natural resource management

        Commercial development

        Inter-government coordination

        Road location

Standard U.S. practice discussed and critiqued with respect to available alternatives

        Values inherent in U.S. practice

        Private property rights

        Single-family homeownership

                Protection of investment

                Racism and classism

        Automobile dominance

        Anti-urban bias

        Conservatism of construction and finance industry

Clarifying tribal values

        Community involvement

        Historical references

Planning horizon

Natural resources analysis

        Scientific analysis

        Indigenous knowledge

Forecasting

        Population projections

        Transportation modeling

        Economic needs

        Secondary data sources

        Collecting primary data

Infrastructure

        Definition

        Location

        Condition

                Improvements needed

        Capacity

        Maintenance costs

        Concept of green infrastructure

Defining amount of land uses needed

Locating land uses

Imposing plans on existing development

Implementation

        Zoning

                Purpose

                Enabling legislation

                Euclidean

                        Basic structure of zoning ordinance

                Performance

                        Format, application, potential

        Subdivision control

                Purpose

                Standards

                        Resource protection

                        Infrastructure requirements

                        Circulation patterns

                        Solar energy access

        Site planning

                Purpose

                Standards

                        Setbacks

                        Bulk requirements

                        Landscape

                        Signage

                        On-site circulation, connectivity

                        Resource protection

                        Aesthetics

Capital investment

Public/private partnerships

Other concepts to be discussed as time and interest permits:

Mixing land uses

Flexible land uses

Transportation/land use connection

Building codes

Dealing with franchises

Regulations versus incentives versus social control

Land use planning as a means for surviving natural disasters

        Flood plain management

        Hurricanes

        Earthquakes

Farmland preservation

Rural versus urban land use planning

Effecting redevelopment

To return to the previous page, use the BACK button on your browser.