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ASK THE AUTHOR JOIN US ONLINE! <br />Go online during the month of August to participate in our "Ask <br />the Author" forum, an interactive feature of Zoning Practice. Lisa <br />Nisenson will be available to answer questions about this article.. <br />Go to the APA website at www.planningorg and follow the links to <br />the Ask the Author section. From there, just submit your questions <br />about the article using the e-mail link. The author will reply, and <br />Zoning Practice will postthe answers cumulatively an the website <br />forthe benefit of all subscribers. This feature will be available for <br />selected issues ofZoning Practice at announced times. After each <br />online discussion is closed, the answers will be saved in an online <br />archive available through theAPA Zoning Practice web pages. <br />About the Author <br />Lisa Nisenson is a principal of Nisenson Consulting. She began <br />her career in urban planning as a citizen activist in Arlington, <br />Virginia. Since then she has worked at the federal, state, and local <br />levels on smart growth, transit, and stormwater management. <br />She is currently a vice president at the FloridaHouse institute in <br />Sarasota, and authors the land -use Wog Planning Edges at <br />www.nisenson.net. <br />1. A general collection of planning, design, <br />and policy approaches that can be used to <br />prevent and mitigate impacts related to re- <br />development and infill <br />2. A local approach focused on working with <br />adjacent neighborhoods to address both ra- <br />tional and emotional concerns related to new <br />projects <br />This article primarily discusses the first <br />part of this framework, with an emphasis <br />on a process for identifying best practices <br />related to planning and zoning. It is this <br />author's hope that the following sections <br />represent a first step in developing a robust <br />program to comprehensively address im- <br />pacted edges through design and policy. <br />RURALI <br />III <br />® The new urbanist transect can be a <br />useful tool for organizing discussions <br />about how to mitigate the impacts of <br />higher density infill or redevelopment <br />on existing neighborhoods. <br />A FRAMEWORK FOR THE PLANNING EDGE <br />Part 1 Scale: National <br />Content: Examples that address prevention/mitigation of commonly cited <br />impacts. Includes data, legal documents, "lessons learned," maps, site plans, <br />and photographs. Provides information by impact (for example, policies, planning <br />documents, and photos on spillover parking prevention). <br />Objective: To develop a comprehensive set of design solutions, policy, developer <br />agreements, and other successful mechanisms for preventing or mitigating <br />impacts related to redevelopment and infill. <br />Political Approach: Decrease opposition to redevelopment and infill by showing <br />successful policies and practices. Provide decision makers and other stakeholders <br />with credible, documented examples. <br />Part 2 Scale: Local <br />Content: Local planning documents, local analyses (stormwater, traffic, economic <br />development), citizen engagement techniques. <br />Objective: To address concerns and tailor policies and practices in order to reduce <br />impacts. <br />Political Approach: Maximize outreach to neighborhoods, address impacts to the <br />degree possible, negotiate community benefits, and highlight the benefits of the <br />project area to both neighbors and the entire community. <br />PLANNING, DESIGN, AND POLICY <br />FOR THE EDGE <br />The general component of the planning edge <br />framework consists of six areas described in <br />detail below: <br />1. Determining the development context <br />2. Determining the planning and zoning <br />context <br />3. Analyzing potential impacts <br />4. Addressing impacts through policy, de- <br />sign, and transportation infrastructure <br />5. The process for addressing impacts <br />6. Long-term operations, maintenance, and <br />enforcement considerations <br />Determining the Development Context <br />The development context is important since <br />the degree of density, infrastructure, street <br />network, and other aspects of the built en- <br />vironment will direct design and policy op- <br />tions. The most general descriptors are rural, <br />suburban, and urban. New urbanists use the <br />transect to describe the landscape from a <br />natural undeveloped state (Ti) up to the most <br />intensely developed urban core (T6). <br />The development context will be im- <br />portant when matching design and policy <br />solutions to localized impacts. In many cir- <br />cumstances the planning edge will be a tran- <br />ZONINGPRACTICE 8.12 <br />AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION I page 3 <br />