INCREASED INTENSITY
OF LAND USE
INCREASED AMOUNT OF
IMPERVIOUS SURFACE
INCREASED POTENTIAL
WATER QUALITY
& NATURAL RESOURCE
PROBLEMS
Communities can
grow while still
protecting water and
other natural
resources.
LOOK AT THE COMPLETE PICTURE
Wellhead
Protection
Zoning
Ordinance
Subdivision
Ordinance
Local
Planning
and Zoning
Comprehensive
Plans
Economics
Of Growth
Planning
with
POWER
Watershed
Planning
Stormwater
Phase II
Total
Maximum
Daily Load
Combined
Sewer
Overflow
Loss of
Open Space
Let’s first
look at the
impacts of
intensifying
land use on
water and
other natural
resources...
Fragmentation and
Habitat Loss
Increased
Runoff
Increased
Pollution
Loss of Open Space
From 1992 – 97, the national rate of development
more than doubled to 3 million acres per year.
Over 100,000 acres of farm land are converted to
development each year in Indiana
Fragmentation and Habitat Loss
Fragmentation does three things:
• Reduces the area of natural habitats
• Increases contact between natural
and man-made habitat (edge)
• Increases isolation of wildlife and
plants
From 1979 – 94, the number of private forest
owners in Indiana tripled but the number of
acres in forest remained approximately the
same.
Increased Runoff
Why is it a Problem?
Natural Stream
Degraded Stream
Increased Runoff
Why is it a Problem?
FLOODING
Increased Runoff
Why is it a Problem?
Erosion
Increased Pollution
Polluted
Runoff is the
#1 water
quality
problem in
the United
States today
What can you do about it?
Natural Resource
Based Planning
Remediation and
Maintenance
Improving Site Design
and Best Management
Practices (BMPs)
Comprehensive Planning is a Key Step
Inventory natural
resources
Target development to the
most appropriate areas
Develop plan of action
Revise zoning and
subdivision regulations
Prioritize areas
for protection
Incorporate open
space planning
Improving Site Design and
Best Management Practices (BMPs)
• Encourage natural and vegetated
stormwater controls – swales vs. curbs
• Emphasize on-site drainage of stormwater
– percolation vs. Detention
• Target and protect open space, prime farm
land, and critical wildlife habitat – retain
natural landscape and minimize impervious
surfaces
• Encourage agricultural BMPs
• Require proper septic system placement,
design, maintenance. Use cluster systems
when possible.
Lake and Porter Counties - Lake and Porter County
Plan Commissions are working with POWER on natural
resource protection, septic issues, and a Smart Growth
Initiative Project in collaboration with the Northwestern
Indiana Regional Planning Commission. A series of
workshops have been developed to help address the
regional growth issues and their impact on the Lake
Michigan shoreline and surrounding farmland in these
counties.
Tippecanoe County – Planning with POWER has been
working closely with the Tippecanoe Soil and Water
Conservation District on protection of natural resources
and is helping the District’s Rural and Urban Study
Committees look at future land use impacts on natural
resources. POWER is also working with the joint Storm
Water Management Committee consisting of officials
from Lafayette, West Lafayette, Tippecanoe County,
and Purdue University in addressing storm water
education, post construction storm water issues, and
best management practices. POWER is working with
the newly formed seven county Wabash Valley
Resource Conservation & Development on growth and
protection of natural resources.
Johnson County - Planning with POWER has been
working closely with the Johnson County Soil &
Water District and the Young’s Creek Watershed
Planning Coordinator on natural resource protection
utilizing GIS modeling tools. Planning With POWER
has also presented programs on smart growth and
how it relates to improved water quality and natural
resource protection.
Floyd County - Planning with POWER helped
organize a Planning with POWER committee
which meets to address natural protection and
water quality concerns in future land use
planning. Septics, hillside development, and
sensitive natural areas were identified as
critical issues for the county.
LaGrange County - Planning with POWER has
initiated an ongoing project with LaGrange
County Soil and Water Conservation District
involving the Little Elkhart River Watershed
project. POWER is working closely with
Watershed Specialist David Arrington ton
incorporate natural resources protection
strategies into the long-term land use planning
process. Several Planning with POWER
programs have been presented to the public on
these issues.
Elkhart County - Planning with POWER has
held several meetings to discuss natural
resource protection and to help initiate a
comprehensive land use plan update. The
POWER project is also working with several
watershed projects in the county to help them
incorporate the results and findings into the land
use planning goals for the future.
Hendricks County - Local leadership organized
a Planning with POWER Advisory Committee
that meets monthly and advised the Plan
Commission on incorporating natural resource
protection into the comprehensive planning
process. This group is helping update and
revise the subdivision control ordinances, as
well as developing a conservation design
subdivision ordinance for the Hendricks County
Plan Commission.
Dearborn County - Planning with POWER has
worked with both the City of Aurora and
Dearborn County on incorporating natural
resource protection into long range land use
planning effort. The POWER program helped
organize a Hillside Development Workshop for
local officials and is presently working with the
County Plan Director and the Steering
Committee to incorporate natural resource
protection into the recently updated county
comprehensive land use plan.
In cooperation with:
Introduction to Smart Growth
Purdue Land Use Smart Growth
Module Team: Jeff Burbrink, Jon Cain,
Bernie Dahl, Jonathan Ferris,
Bill Hoover, Bob McCormick,
Mark Spelbring
What is Smart Growth?
• Smart Growth is development that serves the economy,
community, and the environment. It provides a
framework for communities to make informed
decisions about how and where they grow
– The Smart Growth Network is comprised of a broad range of
interested organizations, for example:
• USEPA, National Association of Realtors, Natural Resource
Defense Council, International City County Management
Association, Urban Land Institute, National Association of
Counties, NOAA (Sea Grant)... many others
Ten Principles of Smart Growth
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Mixed Land Uses
Compact Building Design
Increase Housing Choice
Encourage Walking
Create a Sense of Place
Protect Farms, Unique Natural Features, Open Spaces,
Environmentally Sensitive Areas
7. Direct Development to Existing Communities
8. Offer Transportation Variety
9. Make Development Process Fair, Predictable, Efficient
10. Involve Community Stakeholders
Mix Land Uses
•
•
•
•
•
Allow mixed use options with zoning ordinances
Zone areas by building type, not by building use only
Convert abandoned malls to mixed use
Provide financial incentives for mixed use projects
Helps protect water and natural resources
Compact Building Design
• Minimizes impervious surfaces
• Protecting Water Quality and
Minimize runoff
• Talk about Design not Density
• Balance street type and building scale
• Ensure ready access to open space
• Visual preference surveys
• Ensure privacy with yard designs
Protect Farms, Unique Natural
Features, Open Spaces
• Inventory special places and
make plans
to protect them
• Improves water quality
and minimizes runoff
• Establish zoning to
encourage clustering
• Protect farmland and open
lands with PDR/TDR
• Work with land trusts
• Connect greenways
Contact Information
For more information on Planning with POWER,
including publications, activities and upcoming events,
or to schedule a program contact:
Bob McCormick
rmccormi@purdue.edu
(765) 494-3627
195 Marsteller
Forestry and Natural Resources
West Lafayette, IN 47907
Fax: 765-496-6026
http://planningwithpower.org