In This Edition of Land Matters

Planning - Are We Considering Everything?

Zoning Law 101: A Reference Tool for Zoning Law and Litigation

Sub-prime and Mortgage Crisis Shows No Sign of Letting Up

Common Threads

Announcements and Events

Planning - Are We Considering Everything?

By Dan Reuter

Consider this: much of the U.S. economy and certainly Atlanta’s transportation system is dependent on oil, the future price of which is directly tied to the costs of recovery and processing, transport and the political stability of countries like Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Nigeria.

There are many other factors that blur the crystal ball planners rely on, such as the effects of aging baby boomers on healthcare, increased runoff from impervious surfaces and increased automobile ownership rates. Let’s take a minute to stop and think about what we need to plan for.

Zoning Law 101: A Reference Tool for Zoning Law and Litigation

By Peter Olson, Jenkins and Olson

The basic concepts of Georgia zoning law, provided in a handy outline form for easy access. Read it here...

Sub-prime and Mortgage Crisis Shows No Sign of Letting Up

Foreclosures continue to skyrocket and securing and financing is becoming more difficult. It’s a national problem,  but many homeowners and some communities in the Atlanta region are experiencing foreclosure problems equal to those in any of the worst areas of the U.S.  Read more about the problem in the Atlanta region and potential solutions.

Common Threads

By Dan Reuter

Is there a common thread that unites sprawl, increasing costs for oil and gasoline, clogged roads, the subprime mortgage crisis and climate change?  A number of recent and insightful studies or articles have arrived in the public forum during the past month that suggest these trends are linked.  The picture they paint for our future is both troubling and difficult for planners, communities throughout the U.S. and in particular the Atlanta region. Get the whole story here...

Announcements and Events

Register for Park Pride Greenspace Conference

Park Pride, a nonprofit that leads and inspires action for parks and greenspace, is presenting its 7th annual park and greenspace conference Monday, March 31 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Features speakers include DeKalb County Commissioner Jeff Rader, Dr. Howie Frumkin, with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta Journal Constitution environmental reporter Stacy Shelton and the Sustainable Atlanta Initiative’s Lynette Young. Learn more at www.parkpride.org

Learn to Design with Peds in Mind

PEDS, metro Atlanta’s pedestrian advocacy organization, is hosting the two-day workshop Designing Streets for Pedestrians April 14 – 15. The conference will be highly visual, interactive and led by nationally recognized instructors Michael Ronkin, who served the Oregon Dept. of Transportation for 22 years, and Peter Lagerwey, who oversaw Seattle’s comprehensive crosswalk improvement plan. Register at www.peds.org

RLI Seeks Regional Leaders

Are you a leader in your local community, but seek to make a bigger difference in the Atlanta region?  Applications for the 2008 Regional Leadership Institute (RLI), a week-long conference that brings together leaders from metro Atlanta to learn about the challenges facing the region and to share experiences and knowledge relevant to advancing the region, are now available at www.atlantaregional.com/rli and will be accepted until April 18.

Woodstock Downtown receives a Congress for New Urbanism Charter Award

Woodstock Downtown is the recipient of a 2008 Charter Award from the Congress for New Urbanism. The project, which was submitted by Hedgewood Properties and Tunnell-Spangler-Walsh & Associates, is located along both sides of Main Street in Woodstock's historic central business district and reflects a natural extension of the city's urban fabric that complements and provides a variety of commercial and residential choices in an area of intense urban sprawl. The project includes a vertically mixed-use core closest to the city's historic commercial blocks, which features a town square, civic buildings, retail, office and multifamily, including affordable and senior units.

Read more here www.cnu.org/node/1763