Regional Development Analysis
National Models of Municipal Best Practices in other Regions
The following list of metropolitan and regional planning initiatives addresses problems similar to those in the Genesee/Finger Lakes Region. Many cities, counties, and regions across the nation are trying to find best practices that help to use land more efficiently, preserve farmland and open space, and minimize perils to public health and private property. As with New York State, other states assist local governments and citizens in their search for more livable communities.
The selected examples represent cities that are as populous or more populous than the City of Rochester and regions that cover a larger land area than the Genesee/Finger Lakes Region. To review planning initiatives of bigger cities or regions can help us to find the tools to address both current problems and future challenges.
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The Pittsburgh Area New Direction Alternative (PANDA) is a non-profit volunteer effort to encourage concerned citizens of all political parties to run for office and to hold elected officials accountable. Used as a public policy platform in past municipal elections, PANDA addresses such issues as land use, the local economy, education, transportation, transit, community revitalization, and historic preservation.
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The Smart Growth Initiative is the City of Austin’s plan to preserve and enhance the livability of the community. As an official document it deals with such aspects of planning as land use, transportation, transit, downtown revitalization. Among others, the initiative recommends best practices such as open space preservation, infill development, Transit-Oriented Development, Traditional Neighborhood Development, and smart growth zones.
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Smart Growth Twin Cities is an initiative that encourages residents of Minneapolis-St. Paul to assist in local and regional planning. This initiative focuses primarily on neighborhood revitalization and transit-related issues.
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Metro provides a regional forum for the Portland, Oregon, region where cities, counties, and citizens can resolve issues related to growth. As a directly elected regional government body, Metro addresses planning related aspects such as land-use and transportation choices and stream and open space protection.
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The Atlanta Regional Commission is the planning agency for the 10-county Atlanta region. In its 2000 report the Commission discusses the consequences of the projected further growth of the region in terms of land use, transportation, air and water quality.
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The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) is the forum for regional decision-making. The Association has released Region2020, a growth management strategy for the San Diego region. The strategy addresses such issues as land use, economy, transportation, environment, housing, and fiscal reform.
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The Lake Tahoe Regional Planning Agency as a bi-state regional planning agency is primarily concerned with development impacts on the environment. In 1987 it could hammer out a regional agreement that regulates, among other things, land use, density, rate of growth, land coverage, and excavation. The legally binding Code is designed to bring the region into conformance with established environmental standards.
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The Chesapeake 2000 Bay Agreement is an agreement signed by three states, the Bay commission, and the EPA to protect and restore the Bay’s ecosystem. To accomplish this goal, the Agreement lists, among other things, sound land-use and transportation practices.
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The New York City’s Water Supply System Watershed Agreement was signed by New York City, New York State, the EPA, and the seven watershed counties to protect those watersheds that provide New York City and adjacent counties with drinking water. This legal document regulates, among other things, sewage and stormwater systems, agricultural activities, and solid waste management.
When we compare the proposed best practices for the Genesee/Finger Lakes Region to those of the nine national models it is evident that most metropolitan areas and regions have adopted similar practices that will help to improve land-use efficiency. Some of them, however, also include additional elements such as air and water quality, transportation, housing, and other issues that are vital to regional health. The first six national models are general guidelines for regional cooperation, whereas the last three models are more strategically oriented initiatives that are legally binding throughout the designated regions.
An important element in implementing regional best practices is intergovernmental cooperation. A good example for regional cooperation is the Lake Tahoe Regional Planning Agency’s Code. The Code regulates regional development because permitted and special use restriction and dimensional requirements are uniform throughout the entire region.
But municipalities across the nation differ significantly in the extent to which they can exercise home-rule power. This is particularly true for New York State with its strong home-rule tradition, in contrast to such states as Maryland or Nevada. However, for example, as the New York City’s Water Supply System Watershed Agreement demonstrates, cooperation across municipal boundaries and on the regional level is feasible in New York State. The Agreement became possible because stakeholders from different parts of the region realized that the watershed protection plan is financially more advantageous for all the municipalities involved than the more costly filtration plan. A shared financial interest led to the Agreement that in turn will protect water resources and natural habitat through region-wide uniform land-use practices.
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Last Modified: May 02, 2007