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tions have used, requires a new commercial
<br />development built starting in 2010 to meet at
<br />least half its landscape watering needs with
<br />captured rainwater. Developers must submit
<br />site plans that include a rainwater harvesting
<br />plan and a landscape water budget (Tucson
<br />2008). The ordinance is part of a suite of
<br />initiatives aimed at conserving water, includ-
<br />ing educational programs, demonstration
<br />projects, and rebates for water -efficient appli-
<br />ances and practices, that have helped reduce
<br />Tucson's water consumption to its 1989 level
<br />even as its population grew by about 6o per-
<br />cent (Tucson Water 2o15).
<br />WILDFIRE
<br />In wildfire -prone areas, compact, well-
<br />connected development can be safer for resi-
<br />dents and firefighters. Clustering develop-
<br />ment also makes it easier to maintain open
<br />space as a control line to protect developed
<br />areas from fire.
<br />Compact Development
<br />As the devastating November 2016 fire in
<br />eastern Tennessee showed, drought greatly
<br />raises the wildfire risk by making vegetation
<br />drier and giving the fire more fuel. Communi-
<br />ties generally develop fire hazard maps based
<br />on factors such as fuel loads and where fires
<br />have happened in the past. One study, how-
<br />ever, found that homes that were in a more
<br />compact development pattern and located in
<br />already developed areas were less likely to be
<br />destroyed by a wildfire, and suggested that
<br />"empirically based maps developed using
<br />housing density and location better identify
<br />hazardous locations than fuel -based maps"
<br />(Syphard et al. 2012).
<br />Promoting or requiring compact devel-
<br />opment in comprehensive plans, area plans,
<br />zoning codes, and subdivision regulations
<br />can keep more homes away from the wildland-
<br />urban interface, where they are more at risk.
<br />It also helps meet other community goals,
<br />including making it easier for people to get
<br />around without a car if they choose, mix-
<br />ing uses to strengthen the town center, and
<br />preserving land for agriculture, recreation, or
<br />ecological functions. (One cautionary note is
<br />that buildings that are closer together make
<br />it easier for a fire to spread, so fire-resistant
<br />materials and techniques are important in
<br />compact neighborhoods.)
<br />Douglas County, Colorado, for example,
<br />promotes compact development in designated
<br />urban areas and encourages lower -intensity
<br />land uses in areas more susceptible to wild-
<br />fires. Its comprehensive plan recommends
<br />siting facilities that serve many people, such
<br />as places of worship, schools, employment
<br />centers, and residential development, away
<br />from areas at high risk of wildfire (Douglas
<br />County 2014).
<br />Clustered, Well -Connected Development
<br />Local governments often use zoning codes or
<br />subdivision regulations to require new devel-
<br />opment to be clustered, have good connec-
<br />tions to existing development, have multiple
<br />entry/exit points, and be well-connected inter-
<br />nally. Clustering allows homes to share defen-
<br />sible space such as a greenbelt around the
<br />development that can act as a control line to
<br />stop fire from spreading (Florida Department
<br />of Agriculture and Consumer Services 2010).
<br />Internal and external connections make
<br />it easier for residents and visitors to walk and
<br />bike around the neighborhood and to get to
<br />destinations outside the immediate area. If a
<br />wildfire hits, these connections make it easier
<br />for residents to evacuate and give firefighters
<br />multiple routes into, out of, and around the
<br />development, which helps keep them safer by
<br />giving them more escape routes.
<br />Open Space as a Control Line
<br />Local governments can also acquire open
<br />space between wildlands and developed ar-
<br />eas to preserve as a control line. The state of
<br />Florida suggests a Community Protection Zone
<br />at least 10o to 30o feet wide that could be used
<br />for amenities such as hiking trails or commu-
<br />nity gardens (Florida Department of Agriculture
<br />and Consumer Services 2010). Making the
<br />green space an amenity for residents helps
<br />ensure that it will be properly maintained. If the
<br />space includes green infrastructure techniques,
<br />it could also help manage stormwater runoff
<br />and protect water quality.
<br />CONCLUSION
<br />Keeping people safe and securing the com-
<br />munity's future prosperity are goals everyone
<br />can agree on. The climate is changing and
<br />will continue to change. The development
<br />planned and built today will be on the ground
<br />for decades. Incorporating climate change
<br />projections into planning activities now can
<br />help make sure that the buildings approved
<br />today will be safe and pleasant for residents in
<br />a changed future climate. Using smart growth
<br />and green building strategies that use limited
<br />resources wisely, support economic opportu-
<br />nities, and protect our health, water, air, and
<br />land can help make the case even stronger by
<br />improving neighborhoods now and strength-
<br />ening them for the future.
<br />ABOUT THE AUTHOR
<br />Megan M. Susman is a senior policy analyst
<br />with the U.S. Environmental Protection
<br />Agency's Office of Sustainable Communities.
<br />For more than 15 years, she has worked on
<br />smart growth research, communications,
<br />and technical assistance on various topics
<br />including climate change mitigation and
<br />adaptation. She cochaired the Communities
<br />Workgroup of the Interagency Climate Change
<br />Adaptation Task Force from 2010-2011 and
<br />contributed to the 2014 National Climate
<br />Assessment.
<br />Cover: Photo by Eric Salard (Portland, ME,
<br />Flickr CC BY -SA 2.o)
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