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12.01.04
Here you'll find excerpts from articles published in the two most recent
issues
Volume 29, Number 1 and Volume
29, Number 2.
To purchase a copy of an issue, contact Carolina Planning Journal:
Carolina
Planning Journal
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
CB #3140, New East
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3140
Phone:
919.962.4783
E-Mail: carolinaplanning@unc.edu
Smart Growth:
How it is Helping Rural America
Amber Levofsky
"Over the last several decades, rural populations have been growing
at an exponential rate.
While some rural communities have accommodated this growth through low-density
development,
other areas are employing smart growth techniques in an effort to preserve
open space, ensure
adequate affordable housing, integrate land use and transit, and encourage
compact, mixed-use
development. This article identifies the growing pains common among
rural communities and
highlights the accomplishments of seven communities that have successfully
leveraged
development strategies for the betterment of their communities.”
Planner Profile: Roger S. Waldon, AICP, Planning Director, Town
of Chapel Hill
CP: What is one of your most rewarding experiences as a planner?
RW: In 1991, I made a trip to Gaithersburg, Maryland
to study Kentlands, one of the country’s first
New Urbanist developments. Upon returning to Chapel Hill, the twin
tasks began: working collaboratively
with a developer to design a development along New Urbanist principles
on a 350-acre tract just south of
town; and working with the Town Council and community to discuss the value
of this development form.
The result was Southern Village, a development designed and built along
new urbanist principles, and
featured in Time Magazine in 1999. The development is now complete,
with a fine-grained mix of
residential and commercial uses, side-by-side along narrow, tree-lined
streets with sidewalks in front
and alleys behind.
Analysis of Bogotá’s Bus Rapid Transit System and its Impact
on Land Development
Felipe Targa and Daniel A. Rodríguez
“Recent experiences in Latin American cities supporting world-class
public transportation systems have
resulted in the creation of livable spaces with a significant potential
to spur land development. In cities
like Bogotá, Colombia, and Curitiba, Brazil, bus rapid transit
(BRT) has re-emerged as a cost-effective
transportation alternative for satisfying growing demands for urban mobility.
Bogotá’s BRT system has
allowed for a 32 percent reduction in average travel times and significant
reduction in accident and air
pollution levels along the busway corridors. Although previous research
suggests that the impacts of
access to BRT facilities on the nearby land value and use have been minor,
new BRT systems like the
one in Bogotá feature intensive infrastructure facilities and their
effects in terms of accessibility and
mobility have been impressive. This paper provides first-hand empirical
evidence on the evaluation
of how the BRT system is related to land development outcomes such as
land values. Future BRT
extensions will have a large potential to influence future land development
and induce desirable urban
forms and land uses around stations and busway corridors.”
Vol 29.2:
Forging Ahead and Lagging Behind: An Analysis of Convergence and Development
in North Carolina
Mulatu Wubneh
“This paper analyzes trends in economic development in North Carolina
to determine whether there has been
evidence of per capita income convergence in the state during the period
1970-2000. The analyses reveal that
(a) there has been a process of convergence of per capita income in the
state in the past three decades, and
(b) income convergence in NC occurred during a period of economic expansion
and divergence during economic
decline. However, a comparative analysis of metro and non-metro
counties as well as among traditional
geographic areas indicates that there was a general trend of divergence
in metro areas and convergence in
non-metro areas. This trend suggests that there are pockets of affluence
and pockets of poverty existing
side by side in the state. The regression analyses reveal that while
the initial level of per capita income,
human resource development and population growth had a significant impact
on income growth, the impact
of urbanization and investment in infrastructure was weak. The analysis
on economic structure shows that
employment in manufacturing had a major impact but employment in agriculture
and services did not.”
A Carolina Planning Journal Retrospective: Bridging the Practice-Education
Gap
David Godschalk
David Godschalk has served as the faculty advisor for Carolina Planning
since the journal was launched in 1975.
He now shares his experience with the CP community. “I see
Carolina Planning as a bridge between planning
practice and planning education. Like all bridges, it is a combination
of art, structure, and budget. However,
the Carolina Planning bridge is unique in that it must be continuously
rebuilt. Every year, a new team of editors
must select important current articles, design the layout, arrange for
printing, and collaborate with the North
Carolina APA officers on a publication budget and distribution plan. Remarkably,
this challenging enterprise
has succeeded year after year for almost three decades.”
A Case Study in the Use of Photo Simulations in Local Planning
Scott F. Ramage and Michael V. Holmes
“The Town of Cary employed photographic simulations in four separate
comprehensive planning projects during
the period 2000-2003. The four projects covered a range of downtown,
suburban, and rural planning environments
within Cary’s planning jurisdiction, making Cary’s experience
applicable to most types of local jurisdictions.
This paper describes how photographic simulation was used in three of
these planning projects, and evaluates
the effectiveness, tips, and lessons learned for each project.”
Bending the Judge’s Ear: Ex Parte Contacts in Quasi-Judicial
Land Use Decisions
Thomas E. Terrell, Jr.
“Land use decisions by local government often affect property rights.
Under certain conditions, the decision-
making process is held to quasi-judicial standards. These standards
include restricting communication between
affected parties and the decision-makers to an official hearing. Not
all affected parties, such as neighborhood
residents, may know about these ex parte rules and might unintentionally
violate them. This article explores
ways to educate participants in the process to limit ex parte communication
and ensure a fair process for
all involved.”
Book
Review: Jonathan Barnett’s Redesigning Cities: Principles, Practice,
Implementation
Jennifer Lewis
Redesigning
Cities: Principles, Practice, Implementation,
by Jonathan Barnett, FAICP, is intended as a cure-all
to what ails today’s built environment. Barnett explains that
the problem with today’s built environment is not due
to substandard conditions such as inadequate plumbing or poor insulating
materials. Instead, “the problem is in
the public environment, in the way our homes and lives fit together”
(27). The book provides solutions and historical
context to a gamut of today’s planning issues, from the decline
of public space to urban sprawl to the concentration
of poverty. The book also provides effective tools for building
community and creating healthier, more vibrant cities.”