Tactical Urbanism v2: Dynamic Land Use Regulation and Partnership Tools Regenerating First Suburbs

Abstract

How should land use regulators act when their communities are economically deprived? Land use regulation typically is viewed as passive; projects proceed when criteria established by ordinances are satisfied, but are delayed or scuttled when parameters of codes are unmet. Insufficient attention is directed by local governments to the economic impacts of any such events. The current employment and productivity perils of inner-ring suburbs, the lately-dismissed first ‘outskirts’ of metropolitan areas, recall the question whether expanding economic opportunity for every community citizen must dominate conversations among zoning administrations. Too many first suburbs are in decline, their citizens dismayed about their futures and helpless in some instances to act without government intervention. This paper describes how their local administrations, partnering with developers and citizens, must refocus efforts to revitalize inner-ring neighborhoods physically while growing job opportunities, in that process deploying familiar and novel land use regulation and related collaborative strategies. The paper addresses how administrators of planning regimes can catalyze jobs creation without sacrificing land use’s primary goal to keep communities livable and peaceful places, in the process enhancing development quality through adopting and enforcing dynamic development conventions.