Land Use Planning

Land Use Planning: It All Comes Down To Soil
Building a comprehensive, sustainable community plan
with NRCS soils data and other natural resource information.

Land Use Planning: A Complex Issue

An effective land use plan addresses and incorporates all significant local issues and priorities but must also be based on the land and its natural resources. Land use planning is both a social science and a physical and biological science. Failure to consider the natural environment can result in cost overruns, increased runoff and flooding, environmental degradation, construction delays, and expensive planning mistakes.

Most land use plans begin with an inventory that profiles the community’s infrastructure, population, industry, current problems, issues, and existing obstacles and opportunities. A plan that addresses these issues is a good plan, but not a complete one--not one that can stand the test of time and the forces of nature.

What Elements Have Been Left Out?

Community planning efforts are not complete without an evaluation of community needs and future conditions against the natural layers of the landscape and the environment. Land use planning must incorporate the foundation on which every element rests: natural resources, and more specifically, the SOIL.

The soil is the fundamental basis for nearly every land use project. It is the base we build upon; the medium we plant into. Soils determine the long-term success of land use planning efforts. Unfortunately, soils and natural resources are often overlooked.

Why Consider Soils In Land Use Planning?

• Are the soils beneath a proposed highway extension strong enough to support heavy traffic without special engineering?

• Are the soils in and around the new subdivision well drained or are they prone to flooding?

• Will poorly planned development reduce the soil’s absorption of water and increase flooding?

• Will soils in a newly planned school yard or city park be well suited to the landscaping plan or will plants die and ball fields stay wet?

Addressing questions like these and incorporating soil suitability information into land use planning initiatives will save time and money, and can help ensure quality communities for years to come.

Natural Factors To Consider for Ecological Planning--

• Soils
• Geology
• Groundwater hydrology
• Physiography
• Surface hydrology
• Vegetation
• Wildlife
• Surface geology

Soils, GIS, and GPS...

Many county and community governments have invested in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) to build comprehensive databases of specific community/county features. GIS data layers contain information on community characteristics essential for planning--parcel divisions, utilities, flood classifications, topography, transportation, soil types, fire protection, water sources, etc. Global Positioning Systems ensure the accurate location of these features on the data layers. Most GIS platforms use soils as a primary information layer because soils are crucial for determining land use suitability.

Plan in Harmony with the Land

Land use planning is a complex process that balances technical, social, and political issues with community needs and values. Developing these core elements in harmony with the natural environment, the foundation for every rural and urban community, is a balancing act.

Let NRCS share more than 60 years of natural resource planning experience and natural resource data with you and help you create a comprehensive plan for the future of your community.

Facts About Soil

• Nearly 20,000 different soils have been identified and mapped in the United States.

• Soils vary from location to location. Even in a 5 acre area, a number of different soil types may be present.

• Soil qualities and properties differ significantly, depending on the makeup and structure of each particular soil.

• Soils are a natural fabric, similar to a sponge, which contains many pore spaces for air and water movement. Bulldozing, grading, scraping and stockpiling soil can destroy the soil’s natural ability to absorb and hold water.

• Some soils are physically stronger than others, some are better drained due to their position on the landscape and soil forming materials, while some are too shallow or too wet for certain uses.

• For soils with specific limitations, special practices or engineering can overcome the limitation, improve suitability, and ensure proper performance and success.

• Soils exhibit differences in slope, stoniness, salinity, wetness, degree of erosion, ability to support vegetation and trees, and tendency to corrode underground metals and structural materials.

• Some soils are not well suited to the foot traffic associated with recreational facilities like camping areas, paths and trails, playgrounds or parks, and golf fairways.

Consider Soils For Better Planning

Soils data and interpretations are available from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) whose technical specialists, soil scientists, and federal and state partners can provide valuable information and assistance in land use planning to ensure the best decisions for the future.

Detailed soils maps in NRCS Soil Survey reports show soil boundaries on aerial photos. Information is available in book or map format and may be available on CD ROM. Information on each soil type describes suitabilities, limitations, and specific* recommendations for a variety of potential uses:

NRCS Soil Surveys provide information on:
• Windbreaks and environmental plantings
• Recreational development
• Wildlife habitat
• Building site development
• Sanitary facilities
• Construction materials
• Water management
• Engineering index properties
• Physical and chemical properties
• Soil and water features

* Soil Survey interpretive information is recommended for broad land use planning only. For site-specific information and recommendations, an onsite soils investigation may be needed.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in its programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, and marital or familial status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint, write the Secretary of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington D.C., 20250, or call 1-800-245-6340 (voice) or (202) 720-1127 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity employer.

July 1997
 

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