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<br />opportunities to reinforce complementary planning
<br />concepts from several different angles. Beyond the
<br />well -established concept of planning and designing
<br />with nature (McHarg 1969), there are many relatively
<br />recent themes in transportation, subdivision design,
<br />and landscape architecture that go hand -in -glove with
<br />the reduction of impervious surfaces. Performance
<br />zoning is one ckample. Another is neoumclitional resi-
<br />dential design, which champions styles of develop-
<br />ment patterned after the traditional New England
<br />village in order to foster a sense ofcommunity (Duany
<br />and Placer-Zyberk 1991). The open space subdivision
<br />designs promoted by Arendt (1994b) for land conser-
<br />vation are also a good fie. On another front, residential
<br />street layouts promoting "traffic calming" for a variety
<br />of safety, aescherie, and sociological benefits (Hoyle
<br />1995; Ben -Joseph 1995) could easily incorporate pave-
<br />ment reduction. Landscape architects are calling for
<br />more naturalistic schemes that follow the natural con-
<br />tours and make use of low -maintenance, drought -
<br />resistant plants (Ash 1995). Planners should seize the
<br />opportunity cc "piggyback' water quality with these
<br />complementary initiatives, making sure co explicitly
<br />incorporate the reduction of paved surfaces and their
<br />impacts inm official policy, plans, and procedures.
<br />The other advantage of chtrcross-cutting nature of
<br />water resource protection in general, and impervi-
<br />ousness specifically, is that it seems to make sense to
<br />the average cirizen. Reduction of paved areas is one
<br />of relatively few planning initiatives chat "plays" at all
<br />levels, from the suburban driveway to the big box
<br />parking loc, and even to the Chief Justice of the Su-
<br />preme Court, who recognized the link between the
<br />growth of paved surfaces and increased runoff (in Do-
<br />lan « Oty of Tigard) (Merriam 1995).
<br />From our standpoint as educators, this Feature is
<br />critical to the success of any local planning iruciarive.
<br />Education of citizens and local officials on the issues
<br />is a necessary and integral parr. of the process of chang-
<br />ing land -use procedures, Volunteer commissioners on
<br />local land -use boards are particularly important. In
<br />our experience, almost any narrowly -framed issue or
<br />problem (environmental or otherwise) brought before
<br />busy city, town, or county boards is already operating
<br />with two strikes against it. Few issues are isolated, yet
<br />they are frequently presented to communities as such,
<br />'reflecting not the nature of community planning but
<br />that of regulatory agencies. A regional planner we
<br />work with has called this the "environmental flavor of
<br />the month" syndrome.
<br />The result is that even legally mandated initiatives
<br />may be doomed cc Eailure by the sheer inertia involved
<br />in, integrating new and complex information into the
<br />busy world oElocal land -use decision -making. Framing
<br />"AID URNAL-SPRING 1996
<br />the issue of nonpoinc source pollution in terms of im-
<br />perviousness, although it may be a bit simplistic,
<br />appears to be an effective way of enabling local
<br />decision -makers to grasp the issue sufficiently to take
<br />action.
<br />Conclusion
<br />Water pollution is getting more complex, while at
<br />the same time the responsibility for water resource
<br />protection is shifting toward local authorities. The use
<br />of impervious surface coverage as an environmental
<br />indicator can assist planners to construct a game plan
<br />to protect their community's natural resources.
<br />Imperviousness integrates the impacts of develop-
<br />menc on water resources, so it can help to cut through
<br />much of the complexity. It is measurable, and so ap-
<br />propriate for a wide range of planning and regulatory
<br />applications. It is a cross -Burring feature that is a fre-
<br />quenrly hidden, but nonetheless substantial, compo.
<br />nent of marry current trends in road, neighborhood,
<br />and landscape design, so it can be used as a reinforcing
<br />connection between seemingly unrelated planning ini-
<br />tiatives_ Finally, the basic tenets of reducing impervi-
<br />ousness —retaining the natural landscape, minimizing
<br />pavement, promoting infiltration to the soil —are sim-
<br />ple concepts chac.can be understood by a community
<br />and its residents.
<br />Impervious cover is rarely specifically identified or
<br />addressed in community goals, policies, or regula-
<br />tions. It should be. In this article, we have tried to fa-
<br />cilirare the use of this indicator by (1) reviewing the
<br />scientific literature to provide a comfort level with its
<br />appropriateness; (2) creating a framework for its use
<br />in overall planning, site -level planning, and regula-
<br />tion; and (3) providing real -world examples of such ap-
<br />plications. With imperviousness as a foundation,
<br />planting rhat begins with water resources often leads
<br />cc character, design, and aesthetic issues that, taken
<br />together, definc much of the overall quality of life in
<br />a community.
<br />REFERENCES
<br />Anderson, D. G. 1968. EfEeco of Urban Development on
<br />Floods in Northern Vitgiuia. U.S. Geological Survey ppm-
<br />rde Report.
<br />APA Zoning News. 1989. New Techniques for Controlling
<br />Srormwarer Pollution. May.
<br />Arendt, Randall. 1994a. Rural by Design' Maintaining Small
<br />Town Character. Chicago, IL: APA Planners Press.
<br />Arendt, Randall. 1994b. Designing Open Space Subdivi-
<br />sions: A Practical Scep-By-Step Apprnacho Media, PA: Nar-
<br />ural Lands Trust, Tncc
<br />Arnold, C. L., P. J. Belson and P. C. Parron 1992. Sawmill
<br />Brook- An Example of Rapid Geomorphic Change Re-
<br />lated co Urbanization. jam wi of Geology 90,2: 155-66.
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