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Green Development Literature Search

Literature Summary and Benefits
Associated with Alternative Development Approaches

BMP: Best Management Practice. A practice or combination of practices that are the most effective and practicable (including technological, economic, and institutional considerations) means of controlling point or nonpoint source pollutants at levels compatible with environmental quality goals.

Cluster Development: Buildings concentrated together in specific areas to minimize infrastructure and development costs while achieving the allowable density. Allows the preservation of natural open space for recreation, common open space, and preservation of environmentally sensitive features.

CZARA: Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization Amendments of 1990.

Greenway: A linear open space; a corridor composed of natural vegetation. Greenways can be used to create connected networks of open space that include traditional parks and natural areas.

Hydrologic: Hydrology is the science dealing with the waters of the earth, their distribution on the surface and underground, and the cycle involving evaporation, precipitation, flow to the seas, etc.

Impervious Area: A hard surface area (e.g., parking lot) that prevents or retards the entry of water into the soil, thus causing water to run off the surface in greater quantities and at an increased rate of flow.

Imperviousness Overlay Zoning: One form of the overlay zoning process. Environmental aspects of future imperviousness are estimated based on the future zoning build-out conditions. Estimated impacts are compared with watershed protection goals to determine the limit for total impervious surfaces in the watershed. Imperviousness overlay zoning areas are then used to define subdivision layout options that conform to the total imperviousness limit.

Incentive Zoning: Provides for give and take compromise on zoning restrictions, allowing for more flexibility to provide environmental protection. Incentive zoning allows a developer to exceed a zoning ordinance's limitations if the developer agrees to fulfill conditions specified in the ordinance. The developer may be allowed to exceed height limits by a specified amount in exchange for providing open spaces or plazas adjacent to the building.

IPLAN: A term developed by the New Jersey Office of State Planning to describe their strategy to support compact development and redevelopment, and locate the most efficient use of infrastructure and other systems. IPLAN encourages development in population centers, such as urban centers, towns, regional centers, villages, and hamlets.

Morphology: Term used to describe form and structure.

Neo-traditional Development: A traditional neighborhood, where a mix of different types of residential and commercial developments form a tightly knit unit. Residents can walk or bike to more of the places they need to go and municipal services costs are lower due to the close proximity of residences. A more compact development also reduces the amount of rural land that must be converted to serve urban needs.

New Urbanism: A term used to describe development which focuses on the restoration of urban centers and towns within coherent metropolitan regions, the reconfiguration of sprawling suburbs into communities of neighborhoods and diverse districts, the conservation of natural environments, and the preservation of our built legacy.

NOAA: United States Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Nonpoint Source Pollution: Water pollution caused by rainfall or snowmelt moving both over and through the ground and carrying with it a variety of pollutants associated with human land uses. A nonpoint source is any source of water pollution that does not meet the legal definition of point source in section 502(14) of the Clean Water Act.

Overlay Districts: Zoning districts in which additional regulatory standards are superimposed on existing zoning. Overlay districts provide a method of placing special restrictions in addition to those required by basic zoning ordinances.

Performance Zoning: Establishes minimum criteria to be used when assessing whether a particular project is appropriate for a certain area; ensures that the end result adheres to an acceptable level of performance or compatibility. This type of zoning provides flexibility with the well-defined goals and rules found in conventional zoning.

Planned Unit Development (PUD) Zoning: Planned unit development provisions allow land to be developed in a manner that does not fit into all the use, bulk, and open space requirements of any of the standard zoning districts. The PUD allows greater flexibility and innovation than conventional standards because a planned unit is regulated as one unit instead of each lot being regulated separately.

Riparian Area: Vegetated ecosystems along a waterbody through which energy, materials, and water pass. Riparian areas characteristically have a high water table and are subject to periodic flooding.

Site Fingerprinting: Fingerprinting places development away from environmentally sensitive areas (wetlands, steep slopes, etc.), future open spaces, tree save areas, future restoration areas, and temporary and permanent vegetative forest buffer zones. Ground disturbance is confined to areas where structures, roads, and rights of way will exist after construction is complete.

TREND: A continuation of historic growth patterns, consisting of relatively unmanaged growth driven by market forces, resulting in lower density development being extended past the suburban fringe into rural areas.

Urbanization: Changing land use from rural characteristics to urban (city-like) characteristics.

Urban Sprawl: Current development patterns, where rural land is converted to urban uses more quickly than needed to house new residents and support new businesses, and people become more dependent on automobiles. Sprawl defines patterns of urban growth which includes large acreage of low-density residential development, rigid separation between residential and commercial uses, residential and commercial development in rural areas away from urban centers, minimal support for non-motorized transportation methods, and a lack of integrated transportation and land use planning.

USGS: United States Geological Survey.

WAM: Work Assignment Manager.

Watershed-based Zoning: Achieves watershed protection goals by creating a watershed development plan, using zoning as the basis (flexible density and subdivision layout specifications), that falls within the range of density and imperviousness allowable for the watershed to prevent environmental impacts. Watershed- based zoning usually employs a mixture of zoning practices.

Zero-lot-line Development: A development option where side yard restrictions are reduced and the building abuts a side lot line. Overall unit-lot densities are therefore increased. Zero-lot- line development can result in increased protection of natural resources, reduction in requirements for road and sidewalk

Green Development Literature Search: Summary and Benefits Associated with Alternative Development Approaches. Presented to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds; Rod Frederick, Work Assignment Manager; in conjunction with Oceans and Coastal Protection Division; Margherita Pryor, Jessica Cogan; September 30, 1996; Prepared by--Tetra Tech, Inc., 10306 Eaton Place, Suite 340, Fairfax, VA 22030; Under EPA Contract #68-C3-0303; Work Assignment #3-112

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