Food, Farmland, & Open Space

"We can now get just about any food we want, at any time of the year, if we are willing to pay the costs - financial and environmental - of transporting it." -- Hannah Twaddell, from "This Little Piggy Went to Market" "Protecting farm fields, orchards, rangelands, and pastures from development secures a rural county's recreational, scenic, and quality of life benefits." -- Keith Schneider, from "Farmland Protection: What's Behind the Growing Interest?"

Local food systems are under stress -- from development pressures on farmland, to transportation infrastructure, to distribution opportunities. These articles from the Planning Commissioners Journal introduce readers to methods planners use to address food acess and farmland preservation. A great resource for both planning commissioners and local elected officials.

Order all of the following articles for delivery by first-class mail, as a bound 62-page reprint collection ($16.75); note: $5.00 flat shipping/handling regardless of number ordered.

Land Conservation:	Communities are recognizing the need to plan for open space -- as a way to preserve sensitive areas, maintain water quality, safeguard view corridors, and much more.
Green Infrastructure by Edward McMahon	Your town, city, or county undoubtedly has an infrastructure plan dealing with water, sewer, roads, and utilities -- the gray infrastructure. But has it planned as well for green infrastructure, such as trails, greenways, river corridors, and bike paths? Ed McMahon discusses the growing interest in planning for systems of green space.
Growing Greener: Conservation Subdivision Design by Randall G. Arendt	Noted conservation planner Randall Arendt has developed a framework for subdivision review that encourages the preservation of open space and natural areas, while enhancing the market value of development. Arendt's model ordinance reverses the standard subdivision review process by focusing first on the conservation of natural areas and last on the detailed layout of houselots. Sidebars explore key aspects of the model ordinance.
Putting Growth In Its Place With Transfer of Development Rights by Rick Pruetz	Transfer of development rights offers communities a way of saving environmentally sensitive areas, farmlands, historic landmarks, and other important resources. A look at how transfer of development rights programs work, and what makes some more successful than others.
Transfer of Development Rights by Peter Buchsbaum, Esq.	A look at some of the legal issues that can come up with TDR programs.
Land Trusts and Planning Commissions: Forging Strategic Alliances by Joel S. Russell	Land trusts provide an important resource for communities concerned about preserving open space and natural resources. Joel Russell provides an introduction to land trusts -- and explores how planning commissions and land trusts can work cooperatively to achieve open space protection goals.
Preserving the Working Landscape:	The desire to preserve productive farmland, and keep it economically viable, has prompted planners to explore a range of techniques.
F is for Farmland by Laurence Gerckens, FAICP	Planning historian Laurence Gerckens provides a brief review of agricultural land preservation efforts. From Gerckens' Planning ABC's publication.
Purchase of Development Rights: Preserving Farmland and Open Space by Gayle Miller & Douglas Krieger	The purchase of development rights, or PDRs, is an increasingly used tool in state and local land preservation efforts. Gayle Miller and Douglas Krieger provide an introduction to PDR programs: how they work, what they can accomplish, and questions that often come up in developing a program.
Farmland Protection: What's Behind the Growing Interest? by Keith Schneider	Why more towns, cities, and counties are recognizing the benefits of farmland protection, and some of the strategies being used to keep land in agricultural use.
Feeding Our Communities:	Communities are looking to understand and improve their local food systems, by examining how and where food is grown, distributed, and consumed.
This Little Piggy Went to Market: The Journey from Farm to Table by Hannah Twaddell	The food we consume literally travels the globe. We can now get just about any food we want, at any time of year, if we are willing to pay the costs -- financial and environmental -- of transporting it. A look at how food moves.
Community Food Needs & Opportunities by Amy Souza	Many people are looking to improve their community food systems, in which food is grown, processed, distributed, and consumed locally. A look at the use of food assessments and food councils.
Farmers' Markets by Roberta Brandes Gratz	Now numbering more than 2,400 nationwide, local farmers' markets provide one of the best ways of increasing downtown activity, while offering a valuable outlet for area farmers. http://www.plannersweb.com/index/author and lecturer Roberta Brandes Gratz takes a closer look at the role farmers' markets can play -- and why they've become so popular.
Wanted: Downtown Grocery Stores by Kennedy Smith	As Americans' taste for downtown living grows, so does their appetite for downtown grocery stores. So, why is it still rare to see a grocery store downtown? Economic development consultant Kennedy Smith provides some answers.