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<br />that part as vacant land. Given the high-qual-
<br />ity base data that are available, Metro has
<br />been able to translate this information into
<br />easy-to-use GIS data that allow local govern-
<br />ments, concerned citizens, and nonprofit
<br />groups to perform their own analyses. Today,
<br />the Metro GIS provides over 70 GIS map lay-
<br />ers, including zoning, building permit informa-
<br />tion, and undeveloped land on DVDs available
<br />to the public.
<br />
<br />A recent study of th e urban form for
<br />neighborhoods built after 1995 shows that
<br />Portland, as compared to four other sample
<br />jurisdictions, has the highest connectivity,
<br />the smallest tot sizes, the highest ratio of
<br />land-use mix, and the highest ranking of
<br />pedestrian accessibility ofthe group. The
<br />only measure where Portland is at the mid-
<br />dle of the pack is the average distance from
<br />residential to commercial uses. While
<br />Portland takes advantage of many other
<br />smart growth and urban design tools that
<br />influence these outcomes, it is clear that
<br />the UGB helps ensure an efficient growth
<br />pattern.
<br />
<br />Portland has the highest con nectivity,
<br />the smallest lot sizes, the highest ratio of
<br />land-use mix, and the highest ranking of
<br />pedestrian accessibility.
<br />
<br />dential development. Every five years, Metro
<br />reevaluates the UGB to determine if land
<br />needs to be added.
<br />When the first UGB was drawn in 1979,
<br />the regional gov.ernment included 78,000
<br />developable acres; of these, 39,000 were
<br />actually developed by 1994. Because the
<br />UGB was so large, most development was
<br />contained within the UGB but occurred at far
<br />lower densities and less contiguously than
<br />intended.
<br />In 1998, the Metro Council added
<br />approximately 3,500 acres to the UGB.
<br />Choosing where to add these acres, how-
<br />ever, was problematic, in part because such
<br />small increases in developable acres create
<br />p.roblems in maintaining the balance
<br />between jobs and housing, providing
<br />regional parks, and planning for large invest-
<br />ments in urban infrastructure. Small incre-
<br />ments cannot encompass interdependence
<br />J among land-use locations, facilities, and
<br />infrastructure necessary to plan patterns of
<br />development for investment and regulation.
<br />Based in part on these observations, in
<br />2002 Metro approved an increase of 18,867
<br />acres to accommodate approximately
<br />38,000 housing units and 2,600 new jobs.
<br />Since that time, Metro has made a few
<br />smaller, strategic additions to the UGB, such
<br />as 246 acres for industrial development.
<br />Because additions to the UGB are sub-
<br />ject to intense public scrutiny and may be
<br />appealed (which occurred in 2002, with
<br />Metro's approvals largely upheld), the data
<br />and analysis supporting such a decision must
<br />be quite detailed. Since the mid-1990S, Metro
<br />has used air photo interpretation in combina-
<br />tion with tax-lot maps and information about.
<br />land characteristics and public utilities, all
<br />registered to common coordinates through
<br />GIS, to identify parcels that are fully or par-
<br />tially vacant. Even with this approach, how-
<br />ever, specifiC rules must be adopted concern-
<br />ing how large the vacant segment of a partially
<br />developed parcel must be in order to classify
<br />
<br />168
<br />
<br />State of Maryland
<br />Maryland is the fifth most densely popu-
<br />lated state "in the nation, and many commu-
<br />nities are expected to reach buildout within
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<br />G> This zoning map for Chestertown, Maryland, was built from scratch using'GIS and the town's
<br />existingpaperzoning maps, with local planninginpuL "
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<br />ZONING PRACTICE 1.08
<br />AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION I page 4
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