Land-use plans are drawn up by planners, but they are created with the combined input of various members of a community. You are going to be involved in the planning and development of 400 acres of land for a growing city. You must consider the following points of view when making desisions in how to create your land-use model:

A Planner is concerned with creating a plan that encourages the sort of growth that will attract businesses and new citizens to the area. A Developer bought the land from the city and is interested in the right to build housing and a shopping center. A Conservationist is interested in preserving open space and natural areas from further development. A Law Enforcer ensures that all of the laws and regulations are met for any new development project.

OBJECTIVES

Create a simulated land-use model.

Recognize conflicts of interest that arise during a negotiation.

Analyze and draw conclusions about the effect of compromise on the desired outcome for each interested party in a land-use plan.

MATERIALS

colored pencils, graph paper, pens

Procedure (the map accounts for 25 points)

1. Understand the different points of view and main interests/goals of the people listed above.

2. Use all or part of a large piece of graph paper as your map. Mark off an area that will represent 400 square acres. Determine the approximate scale, and label the sides of your area accordingly.

3. color in the map (lightly, because you will be writing on top of it) as follows (be sure to INCLUDE A KEY):

a. 40 acres will be fresh water (rivers and/or lakes) and are colored light blue.

b. 80 acres will be wetlands that are right next to some of the fresh water and are colored light purple or lavender.

c. 40 acres will be land that is too sloped for building and will be colored tan.

d. 240 acres (all the rest) is land that is good for development and will be colored light green. This is the land you will build on.

4. Once the land is colored in, it cannot be altered. That will be the land you work with.

5. After the area is colored in, you must decide how and where to put the following items:

a. 40 acres for a landfill

b. 20 acres for utilities such as power plants, water treatment facilities, etc.

c. 40 acres for parks and wildlife

d. 20 acres for housing. Try to put the houses near a beautiful area.

e. 40 acres for shopping

f. 20 acres for anything that you want to add. For example, you could add a few acres for community gardens or for sports and playing fields or various other attractions.

g. 40 acres of roads and bridges (you can divide an acre up so that you can build long, thin roads rather than create short, fat roads that are an entire acre thick). Make sure at least one road goes into and out of town.

6. Make sure that the plans abide by the planning regulations by checking the map for violations.

7. Use the key under the map to mark which areas are which. For example, an R could denote a road or bridge (or you could use dashes). Use a pencil and write in the things softly at first in case changes are to be made.