Land Use Planning & Zoning Flashcards

The concept of 'smart growth' in land use planning emphasizes:

Answer: Compact, transit-oriented, mixed-use development that minimizes sprawl and preserves open space

Smart growth focuses on compact, connected, mixed-use communities that make efficient use of land, infrastructure, and transportation while protecting environmental resources.

Form-based zoning codes differ from conventional use-based zoning codes primarily by:

Answer: Regulating the physical form and design of buildings and public spaces rather than primarily separating land uses

Form-based codes regulate building placement, massing, facades, and streetscape to shape the physical character of a place, making land use a secondary consideration.

A Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district uses which revenue mechanism to fund public improvements?

Answer: The incremental increase in property tax revenue generated after a base year, diverted to fund redevelopment costs

TIF captures the growth in property tax revenue above a frozen base level and uses that increment to finance infrastructure and redevelopment in the district.

Under the Fair Housing Act, a municipality's zoning decisions may not be based on:

Answer: Discriminatory intent or disparate impact related to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or familial status

The Fair Housing Act prohibits zoning or land use decisions that discriminate or have an unjustified disparate impact on protected classes.

An 'agricultural preservation district' or 'agricultural zoning' is primarily designed to:

Answer: Protect farmland from incompatible development and keep land in agricultural production

Agricultural preservation zoning restricts non-farm uses in rural areas to protect farmland, maintain the agricultural economy, and limit sprawl.

Which of the following is a key difference between a rezoning and a variance?

Answer: A rezoning changes the zoning classification of a parcel; a variance provides relief from specific standards without changing the classification

A rezoning amends the official zoning map to place a parcel in a different district, while a variance grants relief from specific development standards within the existing district.

Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) is a land use strategy that concentrates higher-density, mixed-use development:

Answer: Within walking distance of transit stations or stops to maximize ridership and reduce auto dependence

TOD places higher-density housing, retail, and employment within a walkable radius of transit stops to increase ridership, reduce vehicle trips, and create vibrant nodes.