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Community Land Use Planning and Natural Hazards


Land Use Planning Position Statement

Natural phenomena such as hurricanes, wildfires, floods or earthquakes are only "disasters" when people and property are affected. One important way to minimize our risk from natural hazards is to plan and develop our communities with those dangers in mind. Besides promoting better ways to design and build homes and businesses, IBHS encourages better decision-making about where we build in regard to natural hazards.
 
The goal of IBHS' efforts in the area of Community Land Use is to create disaster-resistant communities by getting natural hazards considered in all land use decisions.
 
Land use planning is the process communities use to identify appropriate and compatible uses for land within their jurisdictions. Land use is one element of an overall or comprehensive plan process that may also include transportation, housing, open space, community and social services, natural resources and environmental quality, public safety, and economic development.

Is my community planning for natural hazards?

 
Some cities, towns, counties and districts consider the effects of floodwaters, ground-shaking and other hazards when administering development regulations. Others do not. To find out which communities are incorporating natural hazards into local plans, IBHS conducted some research.
 
First, IBHS developed a Summary of State Land Use Planning Laws. This document provided an overview of the nation's complex system of regulation for land use and development as it pertains to consideration of natural hazards. IBHS discovered that only a few states provide overall support for planning laws that take the effects of natural hazards into account.
 
Next, with help from the American Planning Association and the American Institute of Certified Planners, the IBHS Safe Growth Committee developed the Community Land Use Evaluation for Natural Hazards Questionnaire. The questionnaire includes suggested policy and plan elements that can help communities do a better job in protecting lives and property from future damages. IBHS used it to survey nearly 1,500 municipal-level planners in the spring of 2001.
 
According to the questionnaire results, public demand for hazards planning and the priority elected officials placed on inclusion of natural hazards were key for inclusion of natural hazards in local plans. The results also showed that in places where state-level support for planning is strong, communities tend to do better at considering natural hazards in local plans. Links to the Community Land Use Evaluation for Natural Hazards Questionnaire and the report Are We Planning Safer Communities are on this web page.
 
The Summary of State Land Use Planning Laws, 2006, provides extensive information on the status of local planning and incorporation of natural hazards into those plans. Updated annually, this summary provides useful detail about each state. The link is on this web page.
 
While state and local government agencies have a strong influence on development and regulations, there are many more entities that play a role in how land is developed and redeveloped - and whether homes and businesses are vulnerable or safe. These include developers, builders, real estate agents, engineers, insurers, businesses, and property owners. IBHS is working to help all of these groups understand the link between planning, development and natural hazard vulnerability.