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46 large and 22 small cities(See PAS Memo, May 1983). Transportation and utilities is the last public use
<br /> Most of the land-use ratios in that survey were compiled distinction.This includes rights-of-way,streets,alleys,
<br /> between 1978 and 1982. airports,rail,transportation terminals,communication towers,
<br /> • pump stations,power stations, water facilities,and other
<br /> Methodology similar uses.
<br /> Approximately one-third of the information presented here Although the categories in this study were selected to
<br /> was discovered by reviewing many recent comprehensive reduce discrepancies,the task of fitting each city's land-use
<br /> plans in the APA library. Most of the data for small cities ratios into these two tables was still extremely difficult.
<br /> was collected this way.The other two-thirds of the data, To repeat: these are only generalizations.
<br /> particularly for large cities,were collected through telephone Unfortunately,the manipulation needed to reorganize
<br /> interviews. some of the cities' ratios has weakened the results slightly.
<br /> Selection of cities for the study was based on two For example,a small percentage of the communities did not
<br /> variables:date of their land-use survey and their geographic I calculate the acreage of streets and rights-of-way. Sometimes
<br /> location.Although some of the ratios used date back seven transportation is completely ignored and other times only
<br /> years,the majority of the data were collected since 1989. utilities,bus terminals,airports,and the like are calculated as
<br /> Almost every region in the country is represented. the only transportation uses. In these cases,this category's
<br /> Land-use ratios are calculated as a percentage of the ratio is typically less than five percent.
<br /> developed land within communities.Therefore,agricultural Other inconsistencies arise because specific uses are
<br /> and vacant lands were not figured in.This results in a more handled very differently among communities,according to
<br /> accurate representation of the breakdown of land uses in different rationales. For example,a recreational facility,such
<br /> the urbanized portion of each city. as a miniature golf course or a driving range,is certainly a
<br /> One problem with the data is that nearly every city recreational use. But,by some definitions,it is also a
<br /> responded with different land-use categories.Tucson, commercial use;after all,it is earning a profit. Although
<br /> Arizona,breaks its developed land into 21 categories. the definition of recreational uses in this study includes
<br /> Baltimore responded with only five categories. For this study, for-profit uses, some cities include these uses in the
<br /> the data have been reorganized into four land-use categories: commercial category. Some cities consider railroads to
<br /> residential,commercial, industrial,and public uses.Public be a transportation use,as does this study,while others
<br /> uses are further broken into three subcategories: parks and consider them an industrial use.
<br /> recreation,institutional,and transportation and utilities. Mixed-use developments create yet another problem.
<br />- Limiting the categories was necessary to reduce the For the purposes of this study,these percentages are figured
<br /> discrepancies between uses as defined by each city and into whichever use dominates the development,particularly
<br /> • to make comparisons with APA's 1983 study possible. commercial,residential,or industrial. For example,small
<br /> structures, such as an apartment over a retail shop, will most
<br /> Details of Each Category likely be categorized according to the use occupying the
<br /> The residential category includes single-family detached ground level—that is,commercial.
<br /> units,two-or more family attached units,apartments, Although mixed-use developments are not included as a
<br /> condominiums,and mobile homes. Noted in the table is category in this study,more cities are beginning to include
<br /> single-family detached housing as a percentage of the entire them in their ratios.Tampa, Florida; Bellevue,Washington;
<br /> developed city. and Frisco,Colorado,responded to this survey with mixed-
<br /> The commercial category includes all types of trade and use ratios. In two of the three cases, the percentages were
<br /> services.The retail portion includes strip malls, small-and minuscule.Tampa,Florida,has multiple mixed-use
<br /> large-scale shopping centers,and wholesaling outlets. Also categories,such as suburban mixed-use,which covers
<br /> included are office buildings and business parks that have 13 percent of the total developed land.
<br /> financial or administrative functions. Other general The process of recalculating data to serve the purpose
<br /> commercial uses are restaurants,grocery stores, and repair of this study is the last major methodological problem.
<br /> businesses. A majority of the ratios for each city had to be recalculated in
<br /> The industrial category includes both heavy and light order to eliminate the percentages of land that is either
<br /> industry.These uses are characterized as construction, vacant,agricultural,or nonimproved open space such as
<br /> manufacturing,warehousing and distribution,resource forest land.This,combined with rounding the ratios,is the
<br /> extraction,and,in some instances,high technology research. reason some of the totals do not equal 100 percent.
<br /> The public-use category is the cumulative percentage of
<br /> institutional uses,parks and recreation, and transportation and Residential Uses
<br /> utility facilities.Institutional uses are those owned by the I Since the first study of land-use ratios in 1955,residential
<br /> local,state,or federal government,such as schools,hospitals, uses have occupied the most land in small and large cities.
<br /> and police and fire stations. Churches,synagogues,and I In 1955,40 percent and 42 percent of the land in central
<br /> fraternal organizations,which are quasi-public facilities, and satellite cities,respectively,was used for residential
<br /> also are included in the institutional category. purposes. In the 1973 study of large cities,40 percent of land
<br /> The second public use category is parks and recreation, was residential.The boom in suburban growth in the I950s
<br /> comprising private or publicly owned areas used by citizens and 1960s increased these percentages significantly.The
<br /> •
<br /> in the community.A public area could be a municipal golf effects were evident in the 1983 study,where residential land
<br /> course;a privately owned area might be an amusement park. increased to 48 percent of a city's developed land for both
<br /> large and small cities.The residential densities in large
<br /> Christopher Harris is an APA research associate. western cities are typically lower than large eastern cities.
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