Association recommends planning statutes

The American Planning Association (APA) has published the 2002 edition of the “Growing Smart Legislative Guidebook: Model Statutes for Planning and the Management of Change.” The guide is designed to help state and local governments in their efforts to combat urban sprawl, protect farmland, promote affordable housing and encourage redevelopment.

Edited by Stuart Meck, the guide and its accompanying user manual are the products of APAÕs seven-year “Growing Smart” project, which is intended to offer modern planning reform options to local governments. (Meck served as principal researcher on the project.) The guide offers a variety of statutory options for planning ordinances, and it features case histories that illustrate the pros and cons of various legislative alternatives. According to Meck, the authors “tried to anticipate and answer the kinds of practical questions that state lawmakers might raise Ñ what works and why, and under what conditions?”

The guide includes chapters about regional tax-base sharing, innovative land-use options, incentive systems, traditional neighborhood development, affordable housing, farmland and historic preservation, economic redevelopment and tax increment financing. The user manual features checklists and case studies to help anyone interested in planning reform.

The guide and user manual can be ordered by calling (312) 786-6344. The price is $20 and includes a CD-ROM that contains the text of both publications. Additionally, the guide, user manual and APA report “Planning for Smart Growth” can be downloaded from the APA Web site, www.planning.org.