Practice in Land Management - Case Study Example

EFFECTS OF LAND USE ON STRUCTURE & LAND USE PATTERNS Name Course Tutor Date Introduction Land regulatory authorities employ land use planning to manage the use of land majorly with the aim of ensuring optimum use of land. Optimum use of land is used to refer to the efficient use of land for infrastructure development, housing, provision of human services and recreational services as well as other uses of land including commercial purposes. This paper aims at analyzing the effects of land use planning on the structure and patterns on a metropolitan. To narrow down the Great Adelaide will be used as the point of reference. Adelaide is South Australia’s cosmopolitan capital. It is cut by the River Torrens and is home to some of the most renowned museums in the world such as the South Australia’s Museum. For specificity, the areas of focus will be subdivision practices, regulations regarding land use as well as zoning. Subdivision Practice in Land Management Subdivision in land management refers to the process of dividing a large parcel of land into smaller parcels. It can be also used to change an existing boundary from a said location to another. Essentially, the subdivision of land is to aimed at changing the current use of land but the usual consequence is the change in land use (Blake 325). This is because the new titleholders are most likely to put land into different use. The following are the main reasons why land use authorities undertake subdivision of land: (a) For large-scale development. This is usually done mostly done where there is the need for the substantial development of land. Development activities include the establishment of Greenfield subdivisions. (b) Provision of title to land that is currently not in use with the goal that subdivision will yield to the development of the same. (c) Provision of legality in the title of already developed land for instance subdivision of existing buildings or the adjustment of boundaries. Subdivision of land bears effects on the existing structure and land use patterns in the many ways. These effects could be adverse or beneficial, as it will be seen in the following discussion. It is important to note that these effects are either direct or indirect. Direct effects of Subdivision of land in Adelaide (a) Effect on Infrastructure. The subdivision of land leads to the need to change the existing infrastructure. Where the subdivision is done for the purpose of development such as some of the rural parts of Adelaide, the impact is the development of infrastructure. This occurs due to the increased demand for sewerage systems, energy, transport systems as well as water supply that are all vital part of development. A negative effect that would arise from the subdivision of land would be in the case of the subdivision of already developed land (Blake 123). This is because this would involve the destruction of established infrastructure such as demolition of buildings. It is for this reason that professional such as the Stock Subdivision Company in Adelaide are hired to undertake subdivision of property; they can minimize the adverse effect of the subdivision. (b) Hazards. These could arise due to the creation of new land allotments that could lead to increased susceptibility to natural hazards such as landslides, flooding, soil erosion, and others. Adelaide is served by River Torrents, a factor that predisposes the area to flood threats if subdivision practices are not undertaken carefully. (c) Effects on public access. This follows due to increased demand for the public to access public areas or reserves. This includes coastal areas, lakes, and or rivers. In Adelaide, the construction of walkways and cycle ways have promoted public access of the River Torrens that has a large aesthetic and commercial value in South Australia. Here, the land parcels are used for the construction of hotels (such as the Railway Hotel) that are an important source of income for this part of Australia. Indirect Effects of Subdivision of Land in Adelaide (a) Social, economic & Land use effects. Subdivision of land usually leads to increased demand for the development of new infrastructure as in the case of the Subdivision of the land around the port of Adelaide, which consequently leads to the development of the economy. The developments attract people from different cultures to settle. The consequence here is the integration of the cultures of the people. This leads to modification of culture. Finally, the division of land into various parcels as in the introduction is done with the purpose of putting land into different uses such as housing, industrial, or commercial purposes. Regulation in Land use management In simple terms, regulation in land use management is the creation of ordinances by the government that include the necessity of permits and codes that allow the use of land and its resources. Regulation in the management of land is a broad field and involves regulation of housing (through the creation of housing codes), the subdivision of land, zoning, as well as the creation of building codes (Netzer 297). The relevant community land regulation authorities set up the regulations with the aims of controlling the use of private land as well as public land. It is important to note that regulations are made in light of the existing community land plan in the form of bylaws (Regulatory bylaws have numerous effects on the structure and pattern of a metropolitan setting such as Adelaide. Furthermore, these regulations cause an effect on the price of space. In most cases, the effect is increase in the cost of land. The Adelaide Park Land Acts of 2005 This act was established to provide a legal framework for the protection of the Adelaide parklands as well as management of the same at an excellent level. This act was an amendment of various environmental acts such as the City of Adelaide Act of 1998, the local government act of 1999 and the South Australian motorsports act of 1984. All of these acts were geared towards protecting the land for the benefit of the current generation as well as the future generations. Statutory Principles of Adelaide Land regulation The council of Adelaide have set out various principles regarding the operation of the above act. Some of these principles are as follows: (a) The land that comprises the Adelaide parks should reasonably correspond to the intentions of Colonel William Light during the establishment of the Plan of Adelaide in 1837. (b) Adelaide parklands should be held and preserves for the public benefit of the residents of South Australia. (c) That the Adelaide park lands be of diverse value in terms of producing cultural, recreational as well as social values to the people of South Australia. (d) That the Adelaide parks provide for the aesthetic value of the city and at the same time be of economic value to the City. Impact of Regulation of Land use in Adelaide The advent of restricting the construction of houses in a given area can only make the value of land high. This is because a large demand to own property in such areas is created. Land use regulations have the objective of recognizing the externalities and at the same time provide various amenities to a given city say, Adelaide. However, restrictive use of land through regulatory tools (land subdivision and zoning), the impact is the reduction in house density in that given area. In such a setting local homeowners seek to optimize their home values while reducing their tax burdens. This factor attracts the several individual who would like to live ion such metropolitan settings like Adelaide where the value of property is high. The economic incentives that are associated with the regulations also act as a stimulus for people to desire living in the metropolitan areas; this further pushes the demand for housing here. Adelaide has several hotels not to mention the Port of Adelaide. The infrastructure (water supply, sophisticated transport systems, energy provision and sewerage systems) are well established by the Council of Adelaide. All these factor lead to increase in home prices in a metropolitan setting like the South Australia’s cosmopolitan, Adelaide (Survey 87, Land Use in the City of Adelaide 165). Zoning What is zoning? Zoning is a land use system whose primary use is to ensure that the use of land in a given county is compatible. Various land use classifications are categorized into zones in this system. Each of the zones has set standards and requirements as explained in a particular county Land Use Plan. The zoning process leads to the formation of rules called Zoning Codes. These are regulations that promote the compatible use of land in a given county of metropolitan (Healey 423). In itself, this has an impact on the structure and pattern of a city. The areas created by the subdivision of land into ‘zones’ are commonly referred to as zoning districts. These are formed by the relevant authority in line with the predominant use of land that could be residential, commercial, or recreational purposes. Effects of Zoning on the structure and pattern of Adelaide Zoning usually takes the forms of constraints of density (housing), lot size and the allowable use. These influence the structure and pattern of cities where zoning is employed as a tool of land use management. Thou used to raise the value of land; these restrictive land use controls have a large bearing on the structure of an area. For instance, where the zoning districts are set up for industrial purposes, the result is that indusial plants are set up, and residential houses are pushed away from this. This affects the appearance of a city. In Adelaide, zoning is done in such a way that it provides land for industrial use, commercial use, as well as housing needs. The Metropolitan Industrial Land Strategy established in 2007 provides a long term lay out for the development of industrial needs in South Australia (Healey 234). This act identified the North –South region as the best for setting of industries. Regarding housing In Adelaide, land regulatory authorities here aimed at providing housing to all and at affordable rates. With respect to these, the Westwood residential precinct was set up as the zone for providing the housing needs of the residents of Adelaide, especially those in greatest need of housing. More importantly is the Port Adelaide Enfield City plan (2004-2009). The zones created while formulating this plan were purposed to provide space for the development of the port of Adelaide including the necessary infrastructure to support port activities. It is due to this that the construction of the South Road superhighway was made possible as part of the development goals of the part of Adelaide. As such, the zoning districts as seen have need created for diverse purposes in Adelaide namely residential, commercial and recreational needs. All these affect the structure of Adelaide. Conclusion. Land is one of the most important resources that man has. The world population is ever on the increase that has presented the imminent need to manage the use of land sustainably. Sustainable use of land, in this case, refers to the use of land resources to provide for current needs as well as future needs. Land use planning is done through various means as seen in the above discussion. However, the goals of land use management are same; that is to optimize the efficient and effective distribution of housing, infrastructure as well as recreational services for the resident of a metropolitan like Adelaide. While serving these purposes, the tools of land use management such as subdivision, regulation of land use and zoning affect the structure of an urban area. This is the case of Adelaide where these tools have affected the patterns of and use (Netzer 365). Works Cited Blake, William G. The Law of Eminent Domain: Condemnation, Zoning & Land Use Committee. Chicago: First Chair: 2012. Print. Healey, Justin. Sustainable Land Management. Thirroul, N.S.W.: Spinney, 2011. Print. Netzer, Dick. The Property Tax, Land Use and Land Use Regulation. Cheltenham, UK: E. Elgar Pub., 2003. Print. Public Lands Planning and Management: Hearing before the Subcommittee on Forests and Public Land Management of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, One Hundred Sixth Congress, First Session, on S. 1320, to Provide to the Fe. Washington: U.S. G.P.O: 2000. Print. Survey 87, Land Use in the City of Adelaide. Adelaide: City of Adelaide, 1991. Print. Read More