Land Use

Planning

Description and Application of Land Use

Planning
Land use planning refers to the process by which a
society, through its institutions, decides where, within
its territory, different socioeconomic activities such as

Introduction

agriculture, housing, industry, recreation, and comLand use planning is an essential tool for pollution

merce should take place. This includes protecting

prevention and control. Land uses are categories that

well-defined

refer

activities

environmental, cultural, historical, or similar reasons,

occurring in a particular area, the human behavior

and establishing provisions that control the nature of

patterns they create, and their effects on the

development activities. These controls determine

environment. While these activities take place at the

features such as plot areas, their land consumption or

local level, they can also contribute to global

surface ratio, their intensity or floor-area ratio, their

processes, such as climate change.

Therefore, by

density or units of that activity (or people) per

appropriately defining land uses, establishing where

hectare, the technical standards of the infrastructure

and how they occur, as well as effectively controlling

and buildings that will serve them, and related

their performance and interrelation, governments can

parking

actively participate in preventing and controlling

prevention, land use provisions should include,

pollution.

where applicable, levels of gas emissions, light ra-

to

the

different

socioeconomic

areas

from

allowances.

In

development

relation

to

due

to

pollution

diation, noise, water, solid waste discharges, and onsite or pre-disposal treatment of pollutants. All of
these

provisions

should

be

included

in

the

jurisdictions land use or zoning code. This code

This guidance note was prepared by Arturo Samper (Consultant).

Peer reviewers included Dan Hoornweg (Lead Urban Specialist,
FEUUR) and Ming Zhang (Lead Urban Economist, LCSUW).
Additional comments and contributions were provided by Alberto
Ninio (Chief Counsel, LEGEN), Dan Biller (Lead Economist, SASSD),
Hua Wang (Senior Environmental Economist, DECEE), Maged
Hamed (Senior Environmental Specialist, MNSEN), Suiko Yoshijima
(Consultant, MNSEN), and Tijen Arin (Senior Environmental
Economist, ECSSD). Editorial assistance was provided by Stan
Wanat (Consultant), Juliette Guantai (Program Assistant, ENV) and
James Cantrell (Communication Analyst, ENV). The task team
leaders for this product are Kulsum Ahmed (Lead Environment
Specialist, ENV) and Helena Naber (Environmental Economist,
ENV). The product was prepared under the guidance of the
following World Bank Group management: James Warren Evans /
Mary Barton-Dock (Directors, Environment Department, World
Bank), Bilal Rahill (Senior Manager, IFC), and Frank Lysy / Ravi Vish
(Director, MIGA).

becomes the legal guide for landowners, developers,

citizens, and authorities. A good system of protected
areas, together with strong land use provisions,
should result in a less-polluted jurisdiction.

Planning process. In open societies, the land use plan

and

zoning

code

are

prepared

by

planning

institutions (Mandelker and others 1990). The plan

and code are subject to the processes of public
consultation and participation defined by the jurisdictions laws. The plan and code are approved by
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that jurisdictions legislative branch, sanctioned by

2)

Plan for industrial zones, by appropriately

the jurisdictions chief executive (such as a governor

defining their location, design, infrastructure,

or mayor,), and are subject to the constitutional tests

regulation, and the buffers separating them from

and rulings of the judiciary. The plan is implemented

residential and other activity zones. This should

through

land

be combined with fiscal and other incentives for

subdivision (or development) and the construction-

remediation and resettlement on contaminated

permit process. Through these processes, landowners

sites. In addition, pollution-control mechanisms

yield a portion of their properties and pay de-

that exceed standards should be applied.

the

permit-issuing

process

for

velopment fees that, together with land and real

3)

Establish, within urbanized areas, land uses,

estate taxes, constitute the main source of funding for

densities, and intensity of development that

construction and maintenance of public works and

result in increased usage of public transit,

public spaces, as well as for services by the

decreased usage of private vehicles, and reduced

jurisdiction. Ten good practices in land use planning

consumption of energy at the household level.

that can help attain positive environmental effects are

This will diminish emissions, levels of air

described below.

pollution, and energy use, and increase the

effectiveness

1)

Define, make, and effectively protect no-go

areas in recognition of their high environmental,
historical,

or

cultural

values,

for

of

existing

pollution-control

mechanisms and practices.

4)

their

Integrate the urban and rural realms into the

same framework for land-use planning. This

biodiversity, or because they can help contain

allows

unnecessary

expansion.

conceptualization and management of growth

Protection of no-go areas should be combined

and land use, as opposed to a competitive ap-

with

proach in which urbanization is carried out at the

and

measures

costly

that

urban

allow

transfer

of

development rights from these areas into ones

where development is acceptable. Furthermore,

an

integrated

approach

to

the

expense of rural settings.

5)

Carefully establish and modify urban-rural

protection of no-go areas should be supported

boundaries, closely linking them to available

by fiscal measures that preserve lands in their

capacity for providing water and wastewater

natural condition or preserve the profitability of

treatment, and to the areas economic linkages

rural economic activities. Such environmental

and commuting patterns. This helps increase the

protections will increase the likelihood of new

overall density in urbanized areas, maximize the

settlers establishing themselves in developed

use

areas that will likely have pollution-control

corridors, and reduce the costly extension of

measures and other environmental protection

infrastructure further into rural areas.

mechanisms in place.

6)

of

installed

infrastructure

and

transit

Define boundaries so they are perceived as

territories, like greenbelts. These can be of a size,
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7)

character, and use that can convey the idea of an

restore the natural resources, and to developments

edge marking the transition from one setting to

that

the other, even if both are urbanized settings.

Coordinated, as well as in Collaborative, ways (Pivo

Develop all types of urban agriculture within

1996).

greenbelts,

boundary

territories

and

are

Comfortable

and

are

produced

in

inside

urbanized areas. Such agriculture would include

Prerequisite Factors for Land Use Planning

green roofs, neighborhood and community

and

A multidisciplinary land-use planning institution

implementing creative incentives to make them

must incorporate strong community relations and a

economically feasible.

complete set of instruments for negotiating land uses

Establish authorized levels of gas emissions,

and developments for the benefit of the public. This

noise, air

institution should be comprised of environmental,

farms,

8)

9)

or

large

farm

pollution,

operations,

sun radiation,

energy

consumption, solid and water waste discharges,

physical,

and similar measures for the different land uses

socioeconomic development teams. Additionally, a

and constructions that will house them. Fining or

community relations division should be in charge of

penalizing

general

operations

that

exceed

these

transportation and

communications,

of

infrastructure,

conducting

and

public

requirements.

meetings, and of ensuring a participation process that

Require on-site or pre-disposal treatment of

takes full advantage of the tools available to society in

pollutants, and granting bonuses or incentives

this area. A land-management division will be

for additional, positive contributions to the

entrusted with managing the planning process as well

environment.

as negotiating planning policies in the context of

10) Mandate the use of green building standards,

sector area plans. A legal division will be entrusted

ones

with defining, applying, and proposing reforms of the

established by ASTM International (formerly the

legal instruments necessary to create levers that will

American Society of Testing and Materials).

change the market. Finally, a division that provides

techniques

and

materials,

like

the

geographic information, cadastre, and land-value

The

most

valuable

mechanism

for

pollution

assessment will ensure the accessibility, consistency,

prevention within the land use planning process is

and

quality

of

the

legal

and

socioeconomic

the way in which a government applies the above

information on the properties that make up the

mechanisms in an integrated manner. Several prin-

jurisdiction.

ciples and objectives are now recognized as valid

means for controlling pollution and reducing the

Additionally, a mechanism or institution must be

ecological footprint of urbanized areas. These have

established to ensure concerted, collaborative, and

been named the six C's, and refer to the pursuit of

cooperative decisions in the case of municipalities

territories that are Complete, Compact, Conserve and

comprising a metropolitan or regional area. These

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decisions would center on regional land uses,

Furthermore, if the mechanisms and principles of

infrastructure, protection areas and other policies that

land use planning are applied correctly, they should

need to be addressed at a supra-municipal level. That

yield developed areas with densities sufficient to

mechanism would also have the responsibility and

support mass transit, and increase the number of

authority to ensure acceptance or adoption of those

public transit trips while reducing their length.

policies at the local level.

Additional benefits include reduced emissions of

greenhouse gases and discharges of water and solid

There are two instances in which land use planning

waste, and increased greenery in urbanized areas,

should not be applied. One is for areas declared to be

thus increasing capacity to capture some of the

of national interest and significance, which ought to

emissions. In the long run, this should slowly yield

have very restrictive measures defined by national

patterns of human behavior that lead to better health

authorities not associated with the land use and

and fewer deaths from transportation accidents,

development process. The other is for those areas

diabetes, lung cancer, and coronary disease. Numer-

belonging to, and actively controlled by, aboriginal

ous studies have demonstrated the relations between

peoples, who should be the rulers of the activities on

land use, transportation, and public health.

their territories and of how their land is used.

However, environmental impacts that take place

Land use planning can give rise to some complex

within these territories should continue to be

phenomena that can exacerbate the pollution levels

regulated by the state.

typically seen in developing countries. Often, large

informal settlements arise on the fringes of decaying
parts of urban or rural areas that are mainly

Advantages and Limitations of Land Use

Planning

residential but often industrial. This gives rise to a

number of social issues as well as environmental
degradation.

Traffic

and

congestion

patterns,

Land-use regulation leads to reduced emissions from

frequently the result of a population commuting long

transportation systems, less average commuting time,

distances on unfinished or unregulated mass transit

cultural flowering in new public spaces, less crime,

systems, greatly affect air quality in urban space, and

and most importantly, a much greater capacity to be

thus quality of life. In addition, land use planning is

informed about ones city and a greater capacity to

limited by governmental capacity.

broadly

such

government may lack the ability to protect the

regulation. This, in turn, leads to a less corrupt

environment or to provide proper handling of

government,

residues and byproducts.

communicate

very

the

advantages

strong

of

citizen-participation

For instance, a

Finally, the aggressive

system, a much greater flow of information, and a

nature with which some governments promote their

much more intelligent use of it by citizens and

economy by recruiting businesses and industries to

organizations (Condon and others 2009).

their

jurisdiction

without

regard

for

negative

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environmental

externalities

can

lead

to

larger

environmental problems.

Environmental
Monitoring,

Regulation
Inspection,

and

Standards,

Compliance

and

Enforcement, in that the plan and zoning code

include all relevant standards.

Interaction with other Tools and Possible

Substitutes

Market-based instruments and taxation policies,

to ensure that the planning authorities
incorporate

and

effectively

apply

the

Policy makers should define the land use plan and its

numerous land management instruments

institutional setting in close relation to the tools

mentioned in this Guidance Note in order to

defined in the World Bank Guidance Note series on

formalize policies and procedures, and bring

tools for effective pollution management. The land

about a more equitable land market.

use plan should also be defined in relation to the

following tools pertaining to governments:

Setting priorities, a process that consists of

determining and stating a national-level

Practical Examples of Land Use Planning

and Lessons Learned

framework for integrated land management,

as well as determining and stating the

The Colombian municipality of Soacha, located south

national

of Bogot, suffered from a disordered system of land

governments

perspectives

regarding key land uses and decisions.

uses. In 2007 a group of development promoters

Environmental Assessment, to ensure that the

became convinced that, if used properly, traditional

land use plan requires developers to conduct

land development resources such as easements would

these assessments and incorporate those

be able to finance urbanization in Soacha with the

conclusions into their projects prior to

highest standards in public space, roads and

planning and construction approvals.

infrastructure, community services and, of course,

Strategic Environmental Assessment, so the

housing.

land use plan is subject to this type of

process of negotiation involving promoters and local

assessment, and so the land use plan

and national authorities that allowed assembly of 328

incorporates all of that assessments policies

hectares and administration of the public funds

and measures.

generated by the project. It will include a network of

Industrial estates, to guarantee that the land

roads, pedestrian paths, bicycle paths, environmental

use plan incorporates the lands, procedures,

protection areas, water bodies, and canals, consisting

practices, and regulations associated with

of 55 hectares, or 16% of the area.

Ciudad Verde emerged after a two-year

the establishment and operation of industrial

estates.

Concerning land use planning, Bogot issued Law

388 in 1997, which mandated the fair distribution of
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the costs and benefits of development throughout the

that the municipality had lost in the eyes of the

areas where it was to take place. The law also granted

community was regained (Velasquez 1999).

the category of public function to the entire

urbanization process. This included not only the

To combat potential challenges to land use planning,

construction

the

governments should continue following the example

provision of social housing, but everything that

of developed territories that apply principles and

happens in the land-development process. Legislation

good practices discussed in this Guidance Note.

was

special

Governments should continue to design land use

framework for the capital to manage its finances, land

plans with bold provisions for mixture and density.

administration, service delivery, and public works.

These plans should maximize the potential capacity of

The government then implemented a massive citizen

existing road grids, the potential demand on existing

education and culture program. Also included were

mass transit corridors, and bring different land uses

numerous tools for managing traffic, de-arming and

and the populations different socioeconomic strata

anti-violence

and

together. This should increase accessibility to and

extension of the bicycle paths, and the launching of

from work places, reduce stress on the road system

the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system. Next, they built a

and average length of trips, and reduce pressures for

remarkable system of public libraries and public

additional, rural land to be incorporated to the urban

schools, and invested millions in restoring waterways

setting.

of

utilities,

subsequently

infrastructure,

passed

programs,

to

the

create

or

multiplication

and corridors. These efforts combined to increase the

compact, complete, conserving, comfort, coordination

Governments should work on addressing immediate

and collaborative characteristics of Bogot (Condon

challenges. This approach is less related to creating a

and others 2009).

plan and much more related to how a plan is

implemented. The emphasis should be on developing

In 1992, lecturers and students at the National

effective mechanisms for adherence to the plan,

University in Manizales initiated a community

maintaining

training program for the environmental management

participation in the process, and ensuring that the

of Olivares, a very poor community on the citys

land use plan is an evolving policy that reflects the

margin. However, the top-down nature of this first

communitys sentiments.

oversight,

encouraging

public

approach limited its legitimacy among the local

population. Eventually, the project had to be
reformulated

to

give

greater

autonomy

and

References and Resources on Land Use

Planning

leadership to the community. Gradually, through a

constant dialogue between the municipality and the
local administrative board, some of the credibility

Allen,

A. 2003. Environmental Planning and

Management of the Peri-Urban Interface:
Perspectives on an Emerging Field.
Environment and Urbanization 15 (1): 13548.
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Cogeneration
Technologies,
Sustainable
Urbanization,
http://www.cogeneration.net/sustainable_
urbanization.htm.
Condon, P. M., D. Cavens, and N. Miller. 2009.
Existing Tools to Asses GHG Emissions. In
Urban Planning Tools for Climate Change
Mitigation, 169. Cambridge, MA: Lincoln
Institute of Land Policy.
Graham, H., and G. McGranahan. 2006. Editorial:
Urban
Ecologies.
Environment
and
Urbanization 18 (1): 38.
Kenworthy, J. R. 2006. The Eco-City: Ten Key
Transport and Planning Dimensions for
Sustainable City Development. Environment
and Urbanization 18 (1): 6785.
Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. 2009. Urban Planning
Tools for Climate Change Mitigation, by
Condon, P. M., D. Cavens, and N. Miller.
Policy Focus Report.
https://www.lincolninst.edu/pubs/dl/1573
_890_Tools%20for%20Climate%20Change%2
0final.pdf.
Mandelker, D. R., and R. A. Cunningham. 1990.
Government Intervention in Land Use
Markets. Chap. 1 In Planning and Control of
Land Development: Cases and Materials, 3rd ed.
Charlottesville, VA: Michie.
Newman,
P.
1996.
Reducing
Automobile
Dependence. Environment and Urbanization
8 (1): 6792.
. 2006. The Environmental Impact of Cities.
Environment and Urbanization 18 (2): 27595.
Pivo, G. 1996. Toward Sustainable Urbanization on
Main Street Cascadia. Cities 13 (5): 33954.
Roosa, S. A. 2008. Sustainable Development Handbook.
Lilburn, GA: The Fairmont Press.
Roseland, M. 2005. Toward Sustainable Communities:
Resources for Citizens and their Governments.
Gabriola Island: New Society Publishers.
Satterthwaite, D. 2009. Getting Land for Housing:
What Strategies Work for Low-Income
Groups? Environment and Urbanization 21
(2): 299307.
USGBC (United States Green Building Council). 2007.
LEED
(Leadership
in
Energy
and
Environmental Design.) for neighborhood
development rating system.
http://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?Doc
umentID=8880.

Velsquez, L. S. 1999. The Local Environmental

Action Plan for Olivares Commune in
Manizales, Colombia. Environment and
Urbanization 11 (2): 4150.
WBI (World Bank Institute). 2000. Planificar y
administrar en funcin del medio ambiente.
Washington, DC: World Bank.
Wheeler, S. M. 2004. Planning for Sustainability.
Routledge.
Wheeler, S. M., and T. Beatley, eds. 2004. The
Sustainable Urban Development Reader.
Routledge Urban Reader Series.
Additional Resources on Land Use Planning
ASHRAE
(American
Society
of
Heating,
Refrigerating,
and
Air-Conditioning
Engineers), www.ashrae.org. International
organization of 51,000 persons committed to
advancing
heating,
ventilation,
air
conditioning, and refrigeration to serve
humanity and promote a sustainable world
through
research,
standards
writing,
publishing, and continuing education.
ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials)
International,
ASTM
International,
www.astm.org. One of the largest voluntary
standards-development organizations in the
world and a trusted source for technical
standards for materials, products, systems,
and services.
ICC (International Code Council), International
Green
Construction
Code,
www.iccsafe.org/cs/igcc.
Initiative,
launched in 2009, committed to developing a
model code focused on new and existing
commercial buildings addressing green
building design.
NAHB (National Association of Home Builders),
Reshaping
and
Enriching
our
Communities,
www.nahb.com.
Trade
association whose mission is to enhance the
climate for housing and the building
industry, and to provide and expand
opportunities for all consumers to have safe,
decent, and affordable housing.
NFPA (National Fire Protection Association),
www.nfpa.org.
International
nonprofit
organization whose mission is to reduce the
worldwide burden of fire and other hazards
on the quality of life by providing and
7|P a g e

advocating consensus codes and standards,

research, training, and education.
USGBC
(US
Green
Building
Council),
www.usgbc.org.
Organization
that
developed the Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED) Green
Building Rating System and provides a suite
of standards for the environmentally
sustainable design, construction, and
operation of buildings and neighborhoods.

This guidance note is part of World Bank Group publication: Getting to GreenA Sourcebook of Pollution Management
Policy Tools for Growth and Competitiveness, available online at www.worldbank.org

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