Public policies developed with active citizen participation can promote sustainability. Local ordinances and tax structures provide the carrot and stick to guide development and other activities that may impact the community. In this section, examples of these tools--public policy, ordinances, and taxes--illustrate how they can be used.
Related Resources | Related Reading | Case Studies Feedback | Search | To Linked Topic Areas | Back to the Governing Community Gateway | Back to Home Page
The Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy, The Brookings Institution, 1775 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036, Tel: 202.797.6139, Fax: 202.797.2965, Email: brookinfo@brook.edu , Website: http://www.brook.edu/es/urban/urban.htm. The Center seeks to shape a new generation of urban policies that will help build strong cities and metropolitan regions.
The Environmental Tax Program, Website: http://solstice.crest.org/sustainable/etp/. The Environmental Tax Program promotes sustainable development through the development of innovative fiscal policies that align environmental, economic, social and justice related goals
The Georgia Basin Initiative, Ministry of Municipal Affairs, 800 Johnson Street, 6th floor, St. Victoria B.C. V8V 1X4, Tel: 604.953.3009, Fax: 604.953.3225, Email: gbiopen@hq.marh.gov.bc.ca The provincial government is taking action toward a more sustainable future and suggests how the vision - supported by the Provincial Land Use Goals - can be used to lay the foundation for social, economic and environmental sustainability within the Georgia Basin.
International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), City Hall, East Tower, 8th floor, 100 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON M5H 2N2, Tel: 416.392.1462, Fax: 416.392.1478, Email: iclei@iclei.org , Website: http://www.iclei.org. ICLEI serves as a clearinghouse on sustainable development and environmental protection polices, programs and techniques, initiates joint projects or campaigns among groups of local governments, organizes training programs, and publishes reports and technical manuals on state of the art environmental management practices.
Joint Center for Sustainable Communities. Codes and Ordinances for Sustainability. This section of the Joint Center's website lists examples of model local codes, ordinances, policies and resolutions related to sustainability currently available through the Center. This resource can be found online at: http://www.naco.org/programs/comm_dev/center/codes/index.cfm.
Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, 113 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02138-3400, Tel: 617.661.3016, Fax: 617.661.7235, Email: help@lincolninst.edu(information services) , Website: http://www.lincolninst.edu. The Institute's research, educational and publications programs focus on taxation of land and buildings, land use and regulation, and land values, property rights, and ownership.
Local Government Commission (LGC), 1414 K St., Suite 250, Sacramento, CA 95814, Tel: 916.448.1198, Fax: 916.448.8246, Email: lgc@dcn.davis.ca.us , Website: http://www.lgc.org. The LGC provides a forum and technical assistance to enhance the ability of local governments to create and sustain healthy environments, healthy economies, and social equity.
Tools for a Sustainable Community: One-Stop Guide for U.S. Local Governments, International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), City Hall, East Tower, 8th floor, 100 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON M5H 2N2, Tel: 416.392.1462, Fax: 416.392.1478, Email: iclei@iclei.org , Website: http://www.iclei.org/la21/onestop.htm. This section of the ICLEI website identifies resources from the federal government and other agencies (technical assistance, funding, publications, and Internet sites) that can help local governments create sustainable communities.
Back to Top
Abbey, D. Gail and Buck Abbey. U.S. Landscape Ordinances: An Annotated Reference Book. (New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1998). This reference book brings together and explains the planning ordinances which govern the landscapes of 300 U.S. cities. It is a valuable resource for professionals or anyone interested in understanding or developing a community's landscape ordinances.
American Planning Association (APA). Growing Smart Legislative Guidebook, Part I. (Washington, DC: American Planning Association, 1997). This book, a product of APA's Growing Smart initiative, contains model laws that show how regional, state and local governments can initiate or rewrite legislation for directing and regulating land use. To obtain this resource contact the APA bookstore at 312.786.6344. .
American Planning Association. Modernizing State Planning Statutes: The Growing Smart Working Papers - Volume 2. (Washington, DC: American Planning Association, 1998). This is the second of a three-volume set of essays and papers about how American communities can plan for the future and revamp land use planning laws. To obtain this resource contact the American Planning Association; Tel: 312.786.6344.
Bowman, Ann O'M. and Michael A. Pagano. "Imagining Cityscapes: The Politics of Urban Development". Land Lines. (Cambridge, MA: Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, March 1996). To obtain this resource contact the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy at 113 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02138; Tel: 617.661.3016; Fax: 617.661.7235. This resource can be found online at: http://www.lincolninst.edu/landline/1996/march/pagano.html.
Brown, Donald A. "Thinking Globally and Acting Locally: The Emergence of Global Environmental Problems and the Critical Need to Develop Sustainable Development Programs at State and Local Levels in the United States". Dickinson Journal of Environmental Law & Policy. (Carlisle, PA: The Dickinson School of Law, Summer 1996). This journal article presents an extensive discussion on thinking globally and acting locally.
Bucks County [PA] Planning Commission. Village Planning Handbook. This handbook, designed for both municipal officials and residents, provides guidelines for comprehensive plan development as well as ideas for dealing with specific problems and concerns within villages. To obtain this resource contact the Bucks County Planning Commission at 215.345.3400.
Bucks County [PA] Planning Commission. Tools and Techniques: Bucks County Land Use Plan. (1996). This document, part of the Bucks County Land Use Plan Series, provides an introduction to various planning approaches and development regulation methods, stressing the strengths and weaknesses of various options. To obtain this resource contact the Bucks County Planning Commission at 215.345.3400.
Clean Water Network and Natural Resources Defense Council. America's Animal Factories: How States Fail to Prevent Pollution from Livestock Waste. (December 1998). This report takes a state-by-state look at the pollution problems of animal factory farms. It addresses practices causing pollution and the subsequent effect on community and environmental health, evaluates state regulatory programs, and makes policy recommendations. To obtain this resource contact the Clean Water Network, 1200 New York Avenue, NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20005; Tel: 202.289.2395; Fax: 202.289.1060. This resource can be found online at: http://www.nrdc.org/nrdcpro/fppubl.htm.
Environmental Protection Agency. Model Ordinances to Protect Local Resources. This website includes model ordinances to serve as a template for those charged with making decisions concerning growth and environmental protection. The ordinances address such matters as aquatic buffers, erosion and sediment control, open space development, stormwater control operation and maintenance, illicit discharges, and post construction controls . This resource can be found online at: http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/ordinance.
Hamond, Jeff and Peggy Duxbury. Tax Waste, Not Work: How Changing What We Tax Can Lead To a Stronger Economy and a Cleaner Environment. (San Francisco, CA: Redefining Progress, 1997). This monograph presents revenue-neutral, resource-based tax shifting and argues that it may be possible to improve the economy and the environment simultaneously. To obtain this resource contact Redefining Progress at 800.896.2100; Email: info@rprogress.org.
Hart, John. Saving Cities, Saving Money: Environmental Strategies that Work. (Sausalito, CA: Resource Renewal Institute, 1992). This report, based on 1991 workshop on New Environmental Strategies for Urban Prosperity, includes case studies of cities around the world which are finding ways to profit from new environmental priorities. To obtain this resource contact AgAccess, P.O. Box 2008, Davis, CA 95617; Tel: 916.756.7177.
Kemmis, Daniel. Community and the Politics of Place. (Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 1990 ).
Ladd, Helen F. et al. Local Government Tax and Land Use Policies in the United States: Understanding the Links. (Cambridge, MA: Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd., 1998). This book is a non-technical evaluation of economic thinking on the interactions between local land use and tax policies. Part 1 explores controversies and issues such as the use of land use regulation as a fiscal tool, the effects of taxes on economic activity, and the success of tax policies to promote economic development. Parts II and III present research on topics such as the impact of growth on tax burdens, tax increment financing, metropolitan tax base sharing, the incidence of impact fees, and the experience with land value taxation in some urban areas. To obtain this resource contact Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, 113 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02138-3400; Tel: 1.8! 00.5 26.3873; Fax: 617.661.7235; Email: help@lincolninst.edu.
Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. Land Lines. Land Lines is the newsletter of the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, an educational institution whose mission is to study and teach about land policy, including land economics and land taxation. To obtain this resource contact the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy at 113 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02138; Tel: 617.661.3016; Fax: 617.661.7235. This resource can be found online at: http://www.lincolninst.edu/landline/ll.html.
Local Government Commission (LGC). Building Livable Communities: A Policymaker's Guide to Infill Development. (Sacramento, CA: Local Government Commission, 1995). To obtain this resource contact the LGC, 1414 K Street, Sacramento, CA 95814; Tel: 916.448.1198; Fax: 916.448.8246; Email: lgc@dcn.davis.ca.us.
Minnesota Planning. From Policy to Reality: Model Ordinances for Sustainable Development. This package of model ordinances was developed by the Minnesota state planning agency to help make the best choices today for the health of the community tomorrow. It includes model ordinances addressing citizen participation, growth mangement, community resources, neighborhood design, infrastructure, resource-efficient building, and economic development. To obtain this resource contact Minnesota Planning, 658 Cedar Street, St. Paul, MN 55155; Tel: 651.296.3985. This resource can be found online at: http://www.mnplan.state.mn.us/SDI/ordinances.html#view.
National Association of Counties. Environmental Purchasing Starter Kit: A Guide to Greening Government through Powerful Purchasing Decisions. This guide includes program implementation strategies, case studies, a model resolution, and a resource list to assist counties to locate and select products that encourage reduced exposure to hazardous materials, waste reduction, energy efficiency, conservation of resources, and cost effectiveness. To obtain this resource contact NACo publications, P.O. Box 79690, Baltimore, MD 21279-0690; Tel: 202.942.4262; Fax: 202.393.2630. An order form is available on the website: http://www.naco.org/programs/environ/eppkit_form.pdf.
Orfield, Myron. Metropolitics: A Regional Agenda for Community and Stability. (Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and the Brookings Institution Press, 1997). This book presents a policy agenda for achieving the political integration of cities and suburbs.
Town of Davidson [NC]. Davidson Land Plan: Part 1 - Policy Guide. This document provides general descriptive recommendations of a three-part land plan. Part II is the Regulating Plan and Part III is the Code. To obtain this resource contact the Town of Davidson: Tel: 704.892.7591, Fax: 704.892.3971.
We will appreciate your comments on, and suggestions for, this area of the SCN!
Please provide your name and email address: Back to Top
Policies, Ordinances and Taxes
Public Services
Waste and Toxics Management
Public/private Partnerships
Community, Regional, State and Federal Relations
Back to Top To home page
Sustainable Communities Network (SCN) Revised August 3, 2000