Land Use
| Land use affects transportation patterns, proximity of homes to work, location of nature preserves and spaces for social interaction. The following tools help prevent unsustainable development patterns that consume resources and promote auto dependency. |
| 1. | Landscaping: Buffering and Screening |
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Addresses light, visual clutter, noise and other externalities resulting from conflicting land uses. Buffering and screening reduce storm water runoff, soil erosion, and enhance community appearance. |
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| 2. | Neighborhood Revitalization: Enhancing Older Neighborhoods |
| Addresses issues common to older residential areas including aging housing stock, deteriorating infrastructure, and abandonment of commercial and industrial buildings | |
| 3. | Managing commercial and industrial development |
| Use the master plan, zoning ordinances, design guidelines, and other programs to manage the growth of commercial and industrial development. | |
| 4. | Managing residential development |
| Encourage new development that is compatible with the natural and cultural heritage of a community. Methods include use of the master plan to define future land development, zoning ordinance updates, and development of a Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) | |
| 5. | Open Space Zoning: Rural Clustering |
| Open space zoning techniques focus on preservation of open space in rural areas. Rural clustering allows new residential development to cluster in a few selected areas on a "parent" parcel, rather than being spread across the entire site. The 2001 Open Space Preservation Act provides cluster development options withouth having to rezone parcels of land. | |
6. Land Use and Public Health
There is a strong association between
public health and the built environment. Compact, mixed
-use communities with comprehensive
non-motorized transportation networks provide people
with a way to integrate physical activity
into their daily lives. Washtenaw County Department of
Planning and Environment and
the Department of Public Health are in a partnership to encourage
healthy, sustainable communities
throughout Washtenaw County. The Health Improvement Plan
of Washtenaw County has a great deal of
useful information that can be incorporated in
community plans and grant
applications.
For more information
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