Summary: Land Use and Transportation
Goal: To plan for, and adapt to, these community threats and opportunities, recommend policies and strategies designed to create integrated, sustainable ‘best practices’. Background: The supply of land for a variety of economic activities is one of our greatest economic assets, but the supply of this land is limited. How effectively we use that land will determine our long-term economic vitality. Currently 75% of the land in Alachua County is used for agriculture, silvaculture and 5 acre lots. Once land is developed , it is extremely difficult and costly to restore that land to agriculture. Alachua County is at a critical decision-making point with respect to its pattern of land development. Decisions on land use regulation need to be made in context of higher energy prices and global competition for limited resources including land. Land that is currently used for crops and pasture could be used supplement local versus foreign food supplies thereby reducing the amount of energy needed to ship and store food products. Florida’s agricultural lands also have great potential for carbon sequestration and the farming of high-value biofuels.1 1. 2.
The transportation sector is also bearing the impact of higher prices for fuel. Florida’s transportation sector is dependent upon liquid fossil fuels for 97% of the energy consumed (see the table to the left). This creates both challenges and opportunities for landowners in Alachua County. Residents who currently live far from the employment centers will face ever higher transportation costs. Inevitably, many residents will choose to change their lifestyles and move closer to their place of employment. Others will purchase more energy efficient vehicles and continue to commute long distances. This will change the market dynamics for housing. Residents with higher incomes will have some flexibility to decide whether to pay more for energy or to live in a more advantageous residential location. Lower income residents will face a significant challenge as (a) the cost of fuel takes a greater proportion of their income and (b) the housing market for convenient locations becomes more competitive.2
S. Mulkey. Climate change and land use in Florida: Interdependencies and opportunities. 2008. Retrieved July 30, 2008 from https:// www.communicationsmgr.com/projects/1349/docs/Climatechange.pdf Center for Housing Policy. A heavy load: The combined housing and transportation burdens of working families. October 2006. Retrieved August 11, 2008 from http://www.nhc.org/pdf/pub_heavy_load_10_06.pdf
Subcommittee Reports
Challenge: Natural resource preservation, food security, efficient multimodal transportation, and excellent urban design are mutually critical to sustaining a community, especially when gasoline prices increase.
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