The term 'adjoining' refers to properties or parcels of land that are contiguous, attaching, or sharing a common border. This is a fundamental term in real estate, urban planning, and property law.
Brownfields are sites whose former use involved hazardous materials. These can range from discontinued manufacturing facilities to shut-down military bases and abandoned gasoline stations. Federal programs exist to transform these sites into safe areas for redevelopment.
A buffer zone is a transitional area between two regions with differing predominant land uses, designed to minimize conflicts and promote harmony.
A building line is a line fixed at a designated distance from the front and/or sides of a lot, beyond which a building or structure may not extend. It is a regulatory boundary ensuring orderly development, promoting safety, and mandating aesthetic consistency.
The Central Business District (CBD) refers to the downtown section of a city, generally consisting of retail, office, hotel, entertainment, and governmental land uses with some high-density housing. It is often considered the heart of economic and commercial activities.
A subdivision technique in which detached dwelling units are grouped relatively close together, leaving open spaces as common areas.
A commuter tax is a form of income tax levied on individuals working in a jurisdiction different from where they reside.
A comprehensive plan is a set of guidelines developed and adopted by a local government to govern public policy toward future land development within the jurisdiction.
A conditional-use permit (CUP) allows property owners to use their land in a way that is not typically permitted within a particular zoning district, under certain conditions laid out by local zoning authorities.
A dead-end street with a single entrance and a turning circle at the closed end, commonly used in residential subdivision design to increase privacy and reduce traffic.
Density in real estate refers to the intensity of land use, often measured in terms of dwelling units or population per acre. It provides a way to quantify how densely populated or developed a particular area is.
Density zoning refers to laws that restrict land-use intensity by regulating the number of buildings or units that can be placed within a specific area.
Downzoning refers to the act of rezoning a tract of land for a less intensive use than that which is currently existing or permitted. This change aims to reduce the density of development and often impacts property values and land use policies.
A facade refers to the outside front wall or face of a building, often highlighted for its architectural design and aesthetic appeal.
A floodplain is a level land area that is subject to periodic flooding from a contiguous body of water, such as a river, lake, or ocean. Floodplains are delineated by the expected frequency of flooding and are important in urban planning, agriculture, and environmental management.
An arithmetic relationship of the total square feet of a building to the square footage of the land area, relevant in urban planning and zoning.
A multiple-lane divided highway with fully controlled access, usually involving interchanges for intersecting roads, designed for high-speed vehicular traffic and typically without toll charges.
A standard measurement of land, applied at the frontage of its street line. It is used for lots of generally uniform depth in downtown areas.
A historic district is a designated area where the buildings are considered to have significant historic character. This designation makes the area eligible for certain federal assistance programs and protects it from clearance in conjunction with federally sponsored programs.
An expense charged against private developers by the county or city as a condition for granting permission to develop a specific project. The purpose of the fee is to defray the cost to the city of expanding and extending public services to the development.
Land development is the process of improving raw land to support construction. This comprehensive process involves several steps including planning, acquisition of government permits, subdivision, construction of access roads, installation of utilities, landscaping, and drainage.
Land-use intensity refers to a measure of the extent to which a land parcel is developed in conformity with zoning ordinances. It reflects how comprehensively a property is utilized within the parameters established by local zoning regulations.
Land-use planning is an activity, generally conducted by a local government, that provides public and private land-use recommendations consistent with community policies. It is commonly used to guide decisions on zoning.
Land-use succession refers to the dynamic process where the predominant use of a neighborhood or area changes over time due to various social, economic, and environmental factors.
A landmark is a recognizable natural or artificial feature used for navigation, historical significance, or cultural heritage. Landmarks may serve functional purposes or purely aesthetic and symbolic roles.
A comprehensive strategy document utilized in various sectors such as general planning, real estate development, and taxation, outlining overall development or operational concepts and objectives.
A metropolitan area is generally a developed region that is economically attached to a large central city, encompassing towns, suburbs, and other peripheral areas.
A Metropolitan Division is a county or group of counties within a large Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) that functions as a distinct economic area.
Minimum lot area refers to the smallest building lot area allowed in a subdivision, generally specified by a zoning ordinance.
A neighborhood is a district or locality characterized by similar or compatible land uses. Neighborhoods are often identified by a place name and have boundaries composed of major streets, barriers, or abrupt changes in land use.
A new town is a large mixed-use development designed to provide residences, general shopping, services, and employment. Structured under a central plan, new towns aim to create a balanced community in previously undeveloped areas, preventing unplanned development.
Land within a developed area that is intentionally left undeveloped, serving as an amenity to surrounding occupants.
A zoning classification that allows flexibility in the design of a subdivision. PUD zones generally set an overall density limit for the entire subdivision, allowing the dwelling units to be clustered to provide for common open space.
A Planned Unit Development (PUD) is a type of building development and a regulatory process. It is a designed grouping of both varied and compatible land uses, such as housing, recreational, and commercial centers, all within one contained development.
A plot plan is a diagram showing the proposed or existing use of a specific parcel of land. It includes information about the layout, surroundings, and spatial characteristics of the property.
A Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area (PMSA) is a geographic entity designated by the federal Office of Management and Budget for use by federal statistical agencies. It is a subunit of a larger metropolitan area that has a census population of one million or more.
Redevelopment is the process of demolishing existing structures and constructing new improvements on a site. The new improvements often differ significantly from the old structures.
A Residential District refers to a district or an area designated specifically for people to live in. In contrast to commercial or industrial areas, residential districts are largely occupied by housing and are subject to specific zoning laws laid out in zoning maps.
Rezoning is the process of changing the land use designation of a specified parcel or group of parcels on the zoning map, thereby altering the permitted uses for the affected parcels.
Rurban areas are regions on the fringe of urban development that are in the process of being developed for urban uses.
Setback refers to both a specified distance from a curb or property line which restricts the erection of buildings, and to problems in business or manufacturing that lead to lower profits or delays in achieving targets.
Spot zoning involves rezoning a parcel of land where all surrounding parcels are zoned for a different use, creating a use that is often incompatible with its surroundings. This type of zoning change is usually disallowed by courts.
Strip development is a form of commercial land use where each establishment has direct access to a major thoroughfare. It is typically associated with the intensive use of signs to attract passersby.
The process of dividing a tract of land into smaller parcels to facilitate development, often accompanied by the installation of utilities and streets.
A subdivision is a tract of land divided into individual lots that are suitable for homebuilding or other development purposes. Most states and localities require that a subdivision plat be recorded to ensure proper and compliant land use.
A suburb is a town or an unincorporated developed area close to a city that is largely residential and typically characterized by low-density development compared to urban centers.
Transfer Development Rights (TDR) is a zoning ordinance mechanism designed to protect land designated for low-density development or conservation by allowing property owners to trade development rights.
Urban Sprawl is a pejorative term for low-density development in suburban and the fringe of urban areas. It is characterized by distance from employment and commercial centers, dependence on automobile travel, and extended public infrastructure.
Zoning is a legislative action, often at the municipal level, that divides municipalities into districts to regulate the use of private property and the construction of buildings within these established zones. Zoning is part of the state's police power and must further the health, morals, safety, or general welfare of the community.
A zoning map is a vital tool in urban planning and real estate management that depicts the zoning designations of different areas within a local jurisdiction. These maps guide property owners, developers, and policymakers in understanding the permissible land uses and coordinating development activities.
A zoning ordinance is a regulation enacted by city, county, or other local authorities to specify the types of land uses allowed in specific areas. These ordinances ensure orderly development and separate conflicting land uses.
