Planning for Smart Growthin

Rural New Hampshire

SWRPCSouthwest Region Planning Commission

Planning for SMART GROWTH

Purpose of Smart Growth Audits:

• Assist rural communities in coping with change, development and growth.

• Provide guidance by promoting Smart Growth.

• Assist communities in implementing the prin-ciples of Smart Growth to effectively manage growth.

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Planning for SMART GROWTHSWRPC

NH Smart Growth Principles

Smart Growth Audit as a Planning Tool

Sprawl in Rural New Hampshire

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Content of Slide Show:

Planning for SMART GROWTHSWRPC

NH Smart Growth Principles

Smart Growth Audit as a Planning Tool

Sprawl in Rural New Hampshire

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Sprawl: amount of developed land grows faster than population.

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Sprawl in Rural New Hampshire SWRPC

Source: Brookings Institution, 2001.

Nashua – Manchester Area:• 29 % increase in population, but...• 70 % increase in developed land =• 25 % decrease in density

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Sprawl: amount of developed land grows faster than population.

Sprawl in Rural New Hampshire

Signs of Sprawl in Rural Areas:

• Single-Use Zoning,

• Current Development Trends that don’t follow Historic Patterns.

• Dominance of Town-wide Medium- to Low-Density Residential Housing,

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Sprawl: amount of developed land grows faster than population.

• Large-Lot Zoning in Town Center,

Sprawl in Rural New Hampshire

Source: Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, US EPA

Landscape prior to development

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Source: Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, US EPA

Landscape after conventional development

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Sprawl

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• Loss of open space and wildlife habitat

Costs of sprawl:

• Loss of farming, forestry, hunting & recreation• Increase in polluted storm water run-off• Depletion of ground water• Congestion and attrition of local roads• Higher housing costs due to land & road costs• Higher school transportation costs• Change of community character

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Sprawl in Rural New Hampshire

Geography of sprawl:

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Sprawl in Rural New Hampshire

Concord

Keene Manchester

Nashua

Lawrence, MAGreenfield, MA

Household Density Patterns (2000)

Source: 2000 Census

Planning for SMART GROWTHSWRPC

NH Smart Growth Principles

Smart Growth Audit as a Planning Tool

Sprawl in Rural New Hampshire

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Smart Growth can protect the environment, build better communities, preserve community character, and provide employment and housing opportunities, including the building of affordable housing.

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Smart Growth is the opposite of Sprawl.

NH Smart Growth Principles

Smart Growth does not stop growth.

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NH Smart Growth Principles

Principles:

Office of Energy and Planningpublication.

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A) Maintain traditional compact settlement patterns.

B) Preserve traditional character of downtowns and villages.

C) Incorporate a mix of uses.

D) Preserve our working landscape & environmental quality.

E) Provide choices and safety in transportation.

F) Manage growth locally in the NH tradition … and work with neighboring towns.SWRPC

NH Smart Growth Principles

A) Maintain traditional compact settlement patterns.

SWRPC NH Smart Growth Principles

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XCompact patternStrip development

Important: In concert with land protection measures

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• Uses land efficiently

• Is pedestrian-friendly

• Uses less infrastructure

• Mixes uses

• Creates new center

• Expands or in-fill in existing village or

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A) Maintain traditional compact settlement patterns.

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• Maintains human scale

• Promotes consistent architectural & site design

• Creates sense of community

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B) Preserve traditional character of downtowns and villages.

• Retains rural character

Source: Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, US EPA

Landscape with conventional development

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Sprawl

Source: Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, US EPA

Landscape with compact settlement patterns

Traditional Neighborhood Design (TND)

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NH Smart Growth Principles

•Business / Retail / Services

•Commercial / Residential

•Public Facilities

•Public Green Space

C) Incorporate a mix of uses.

•Variety of Housing Types

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NH Smart Growth Principles

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D) Preserve our working landscape & environmental quality.

• Growing

• Processing

• Selling

NH Smart Growth Principles

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D) Preserve our working landscape & environmental quality.

• Storm water management

• Riparian land protection

• Vegetated buffers

• Protection of steep slopes

• Open space protection

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• Safe & convenient

• Walking & biking

• Year-round use

E) Provide choices and safety in transportation.

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NH Smart Growth Principles

• Helps towns to achieve common goal: Smart Growth

• Implemented through master plan policies, land use regulations and intermunicipal agreements.

• Helps towns to effectively address common problems: traffic, capacities of services etc.

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F) Manage growth locally in the NH tradition … and work with neighboring towns.

Planning for SMART GROWTHSWRPC

NH Smart Growth Principles

Smart Growth Audit as a Planning Tool

Sprawl in Rural New Hampshire

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A systematic inquiry to evaluate existing land-use plans, policies and practices against the accepted principles of Smart Growth.

Smart Growth Audit as a Planning ToolSWRPC

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What is a Smart Growth Audit?

American Planning Association, PlanningAdvisory Service Report # 512, 2003.

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Smart Growth Audit as a Planning Tool

Methodology and Parameter:

• Efficient Land Consumption• Direction of Growth Density• Urban Form• Land Use• Jobs-Housing Balance• Open Space/Green Space• Energy Conservation

• Water Quality• Air Quality• Housing• Transportation• Parking• Water, Sewer, and Other

Infrastructure• Permitting Processes• Regionalism and

Intergovernmental Relations

Parameter checklist:

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Smart Growth Audit as a Planning Tool

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Example for applied methodology

Does the local zoning ordinance provide at least one or more zoning districts that allow mixes of residential and commercial uses?

Principle: Incorporate a mix of uses.

The auditor consults the town’s master plan and zoning ordinance.

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Smart Growth Audit as a Planning Tool

Question:

Analysis:

Comments:

Recommendations:The auditor answers the question and comments on results.

If necessary, the auditor recommends amendments to the town’s master plan and zoning ordinance.

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• Recommendations

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Smart Growth Audit as a Planning Tool

• Implementation