How Rethinking Land Use Can Boost Local Government Revenue
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Connecting state and local government leaders
Governments looking to make revenue streams more dependable should consider revisiting land-use regulations, incentives and taking other steps, says a recent report.
Many local government revenues are linked to land use. With this in mind, cities and counties should embrace land use policies and development that generate higher revenues over the long term, according to a report by The Rethinking Revenue initiative, a collaborative effort that includes the National League of Cities, the American Planning Association and related groups.
For local governments to strengthen revenue streams tied to land use, the report recommends a number of steps. These include revisiting how they view their role in land-use planning and administering building codes and making sure mobility, parking and greenway goals are met. They should also scrutinize the cost of development versus the revenues it will generate. Changing incentives, regulations and decision-making processes can help as well, the report says.
How to Improve Revenue Per Acre
To achieve a higher revenue per acre, The Rethinking Revenue initiative compiled a list of potential strategies local governments can employ, including:
Making fiscally savvy development more accessible. Change decision-making so traditional development practices are not the standard approach.
Calculating revenue per acre for all areas. Display revenue per acre on maps to show decision-makers how land-use decisions affect revenues.
Encouraging infill development and building up. Use infill development adds additional revenue while minimizing the cost of services by taking advantage of existing infrastructure.
Understanding how building and zoning regulations impact revenues. Create regulation incentives that boost revenue-positive land uses.
Knowing where cross-subsidization is going on and charging for it. Remove cross-subsidization, whether intentional or unintentional, especially where it encourages unsustainable development patterns.
For more information from the report click here.
Andre Claudio is an assistant editor at Route Fifty.
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