A committee co-chaired by Ellen Haider and Judy Brachman was appointed to conduct a yearlong study. Reports, articles, and background material produced by the study committee will be posted here as they become available.

• October 2010 report
• March 2011 report
• June 2011 report
• September 2011 report
• Presentations from January 2012 Land Use Forum: Chester Jourdan of MORPC and Vince Papsidero from City of Columbus (PDF) and Rethinking Streets for Successful Communities (YouTube)
• Background Material and Consensus Questions - March 2012
• Adopted Position - April 23, 2012

Overview of the Study

Rationale: The current local position on planning (“Support comprehensive planning and development with broad citizen participation for the metro area”) is far too general to be of use, while the state position on land use, though more specific, is more than a decade old. Neither fully takes into consideration the challenges of planning for a growing metropolitan area like Columbus. Members present at the Jan. 28, 2010, program planning meeting agreed that a study of this issue should be considered at the Annual Meeting for incorporation into the 2010-2012 program.

Scope: A study committee shall choose among the following:

• Assess the impact of state and local policies on the use of land and regional planning in the Columbus metropolitan area over the last three decades, including (but not limited to) residential densities, movement of jobs, and vacant properties in older areas;
• Research such issues as suburban expansion and its impact on urban blight, taxation policies and growth, age diversity, livability, racial and economic segregation, residential options, green space, and the needs of the various generations (baby boomers in particular, given their size);
• Determine criteria to ensure that communities in the metro area can be viable economically, socially, and environmentally, integrating people of all ages with land and buildings;
• Consider current economic revitalization policies within Columbus and its inner-ring suburbs, and the impact of locally adopted plans and zoning codes on long-range planning;
• Review the League’s material/position on public transit to ensure consistency between these two interconnected topics;
• Examine positions of other local Leagues in Ohio (e.g., Delaware and Cuyahoga counties) for possible concurrence; and
• Within the limitations of the League’s jurisdiction, examine tax policies, township responsibilities, financing of infrastructure, and economic development with an eye toward recommendations that could be made to the state League.