Improving Land Use Management, Promoting Smart Growth, and Encouraging Climate Resilience

Problem

Past building and development practices, coupled with poorly planned local zoning and development requirements, have resulted in sprawl, increased pollution discharges, and many other unintentional injurious effects to the environment. Whereas the Promoting LID action plan focuses principally on stormwater management and restoring the natural hydrology of sites, “Smart Growth” and similar growth management principles address the broader and indirect environmental impacts of growth and sprawl. Smart growth strategies include planning, zoning, protection of open space, preserving natural landscapes, encouraging village centers, and promoting clustering of development and other actions that cannot be directly addressed through conventional environmental regulations. Implementation of these plans, practices, and policies will not only benefit the environment, but also save government infrastructure construction and maintenance, and ultimately benefit the public with reduced government tax burdens.

Goals and Objectives

Changes: The goals and objectives were re-worded improve clarity and readability and to include climate objectives.

Goal 4.1. Improve land use management and protect natural resources through smart growth and climate resilience strategies in the Buzzards Bay watershed.

Objective 4.1. Encourage smart growth and climate resilience approaches for new development and encourage redevelopment in urban and village centers to protect natural resource areas.

Objective 4.2. Improve local zoning, subdivision, health, and wetlands regulations to manage future growth with climate resilience considerations while protecting the environment of Buzzards Bay and its watershed.

Objective 4.3. Promote sustainable agriculture and forest management practices that do not adversely affect water quality.