Conservation Subdivisions: Effective Green Infrastructure Strategies to Meet Development Needs
Breakthroughs Media
July 23, 2010
Communities are beginning to employ conservation subdivisions as a means of protecting valued open lands and green infrastructure. Used in conjunction with a green infrastructure network plan, conservation subdivisions can permanently protect 50% or more of a communities remaining open lands while shaping growth into more desirable patterns and locations.
With strategic conservation tools such as conservation easements, communities can better protect their open space assets and monitor development sustainably. "Conservation subdivisions meet both the needs of the environment and development." states Sumner Swaner, Founder of The Center for Green Infrastructure Design. "These planned conservation strategies can serve as a ´building block´ for a community´s green infrastructure network."
What is a conservation subdivision? What are the major benefits?
Conservation Subdivisions occur when development where half or more of the buildable land area is designated as undivided, permanent open space. Conservation subdivisions are ideal for less developed areas on the urban fringe. Conservation subdivisions are density neutral, meaning they respect property rights; the landowner maintains full by right density. Conservation subdivisions respects quality of life and the community maintains its character. When conservation subdivisions are used as a building block, a community can create a permanently protected interconnected network of permanent open space.
The sequence of the four steps in the Conservation Subdivision Design Process is critical and explained further by visiting our website.
Conservation Subdivision Summary
• 50% open space requirement for development (permanently protected heritage)
• A permanent feature of the community.
• Conservation easements on all designated open space.
• A network of open lands.
• Connectivity (benefits to recreation, wildlife, agriculture, etc.)
• Accessible to residents. (80% of units directly on open space - direct access)
• Access to public lands (along river, in mountains)
Economic Benefits and Marketability of Conservation Subdivisions
Conservation Developments typically cluster smaller lots on a tract of land, instead of distributing them over the entire acreage. As a result, conservation subdivisions, neo-traditional villages, and other higher-density residential developments tend to be more cost effective to construct.
Conservation subdivisions preserve 50-70% of the buildable land, while still allowing the same maximum number of home sites as conventional subdivision development. Home sites are strategically placed for maximum views of natural lands. Homeowners can enjoy the walking trails among the wildlife and natural lands. Conservation subdivisions provide an alternative to the destruction of the land from conventional grid style subdivision developments. Rick LeBrasseur, Executive Director of the Center for Green Infrastructure Designer notes "Results show again and again that conservation subdivisions are more profitable to developers than conventional subdivisions."
Despite its advantages, conservation development has not replaced conventional large-lot subdivision layout as the dominant form of residential development. This is partly because many local governments either have not allowed conservation or cluster development or have established administratively complex review and approval procedures that have effectively discouraged its use. In addition, local officials and the public have not readily understood the cluster concept and have often associated it with higher densities and a lower standard of living.
For their part, developers may not be familiar with this development alternative, or they may not be convinced that there is a market for this type of development. However, there is evidence that buyers appreciate the value of a smaller lot near to permanently protected open space.
According to an article on conservation subdivisions in Big Builder magazine (May 1, 2006), "Leaving land in its natural state or building trails through it is cheaper than building infrastructure or golf courses. The results show that lots in conservation subdivisions carry a premium, are less expensive to build, and sell more quickly than lots in conventional subdivisions." Furthermore, "That lots in conservation subdivisions sold in about half the time as lots in conventional subdivisions must be advantageous to the cash flow of developers. These numbers translate into premiums for lots in conservation subdivisions ranging from $13,000 to $18,000 per acre over lots in conventional subdivisions."
The Center for Green Infrastructure Design is a non-profit which promotes the recognition of green infrastructure and helps communities plan and implement better development patterns and land use decisions. The Center for Green Infrastructure Design actively illustrates techniques that designers, planners, municipalities and communities can use to overcome impediments and grow in a sustainable fashion which protects valued open space assets. As grey infrastructure is planned as each real estate development is contemplated, so must green infrastructure.
To learn more about strategic conservation strategies and how green infrastructure planning can help you, please contact us or visit our website www.greeninfrastructuredesign.org or contact us at (801)483-2100.
The Center for Green Infrastructure Design
311 S 900 E Suite 201
Salt Lake City UT 84102
801-483-2100
info@greeninfrastructuredesign.org
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