Alternative Strategies for a Sustainable Future
Rural Lands Preservation
How many times have we thought or heard someone say......

  • Development is out of control
  • All of the open space in our area is gone
  • The traffic is terrible
  • Road construction is everywhere
  • Global warming is endangering the planet
  • Land taxes are becoming unbearable

All of these things are consequences of the settlement pattern we have adopted for our communities.  It's called "sprawl", but it's
more than just conversion of open space -- sprawl can be characterized as follows

  • Segregated land uses, requiring that people must drive someplace to do anything
  • Low density single-family homes
  • Land planning on the subdivision level, one at a time
  • Separation of schools, workplace, shopping, and living areas
  • Lots of cars
  • Perpetual road construction
  • When land is developed, all of the open space is changed to urban uses
  • Agricultural areas are considered as reserves for future land conversion

None of these are inevitable consequences of growth.  They are choices, which are identified and then written into laws.  A different
outcome can be achieved simply by making different choices.  If we consider the above as lists of problems, and then try to find
solutions to those problems, we can define alternatives that will significantly reduce the impacts of sprawl.
The Alternatives:

  • Compact, mixed-use developments
  • Landscape scale planning
  • Integration of agriculture and natural systems in urban planning
  • Roadway grids that distribute and calm traffic

The benefits of alternative planning:

  • Less driving = lower cost of living, fewer emissions
  • Higher quality of life
  • Permanent preservation of agriculture and natural systems at little or no cost to taxpayers
  • Lower land taxes

These are short lists -- each has many more possible components.  However, the direction is clear -- we need to do things
differently, and there are ways to move forward that lead to positive outcomes.

Committee for Sustainable Treasure Coast

The CSTC was a committee organized by Sen. Ken Pruitt to identify the ways to achieve sustainable development.  After meeting
for almost two years, the Committee issued a report that can be found at SustainableTC.org.  In the report, the Rural Lands
Subcommittee felt that three things must happen in order for agriculture to be a permanent landscape component.  We call them
"The Three Things".  They are:

  • Agriculture must be profitable
  • Transfer of Development Rights programs must be successfully applied
  • The combination of expectation of future profits and the sale of development rights must yield
    an economic value to farmers that is equal to or greater than selling the land outright for
    development.

These are discussed at length in the CSTC Report.  The challenge is to figure out how to achieve these three objectives. The
following are a few items of interest that relate:
Why is Arapaho involved?

See Our Story about Rural Lands!
This?

Single family subdivisions, relatively low densities,
shopping in big boxes, and everyone has to drive
somewhere to do anything.


Local Governments are in the process of a
mandatory update of their Comp Plans.  Some, such
as the City of Ft. Pierce, didn't change a thing.  Others,
such as St. Lucie County, are modifying their plans to
describe alternatives to Sprawl.
Or This?

The urban form associated with Traditional
Neighborhood Design, New Urbanism, and Smart
Growth.  Compact, mixed-use communities with high
levels of internal trip capture, surrounded by open
space that is attached to the community.  

External open space must be included in DRI's and
other development review as an integral component.  
Currently, only urban areas are reviewed - open space
is on the other side of the walls.