Land Use

The amount of land the region develops over the next few decades is directly related to the future height of buildings, the size of backyards and the amount of single-family vs. multifamily housing. Creating future housing with smaller yards and taller buildings will allow the region to preserve more farm and forest land and open space, but will mean that new residents will not have as much opportunity to find a new home in the country.

Many participants in the Grand Vision have expressed a need for more affordable housing options for young people, working families, and the elderly. One of the most effective ways to increase affordable housing is to allow for more apartments, condominiums and townhouses.

Transportation

How we live, work and travel via car, bike, bus or on foot has a dramatic effect on our daily lives, what our cities and towns look like and the health of our environment. Spreading development around the region in subdivisions and small acreages will ensure that more people can live on a quiet street, but will also mean that we will drive farther to work, there will be more congestion in the region and people will use more fuel.

Focusing the majority of future housing into existing cities and villages can dramatically decrease the distances we drive, what we spend on gas, and create more options for walking, biking and riding the bus. However, living closer together also means that we will spend less time commuting and pave fewer roads and parking lots, but we will experience more congestion in neighborhoods.