 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
WISCONSIN SMART GROWTH ELEMENTS
Wisconsin’s Smart Growth law requires communities to address nine key elements:
1. Issues and opportunities
2. Utilities and community facilities
3. Economic development
4. Housing
5. Transportation
6. Agriculture, cultural and natural resources
7. Intergovernmental cooperation
8. Land use
9. Implementation
1. Issues and opportunities element
Background information on the local governmental unit and a statement of overall
objectives, policies, goals and programs of the local governmental unit to
guide the future development and redevelopment of the local governmental unit
over a 20-year planning period. Background information shall include population,
household and employment forecasts that the local governmental unit uses in
developing its comprehensive plan, and demographic trends, age distribution,
educational levels, income levels and employment characteristics that exist
within the local governmental unit.
2. Housing element
A compilation of objectives, policies, goals, maps and programs of the local
governmental unit to provide an adequate housing supply that meets existing
and forecasted housing demand in the local governmental unit. The element shall
assess the age, structural, value and occupancy characteristics of the local
governmental unit's housing stock. The element shall also identify specific
policies and programs that promote the development of housing for residents
of the local governmental unit and provide a range of housing choices that
meet the needs of persons of all income levels and of all age groups and persons
with special needs, policies and programs that promote the availability of
land for the development or redevelopment of low-income and moderate-income
housing, and policies and programs to maintain or rehabilitate the local governmental
unit's existing housing stock.
3. Transportation element
A compilation of objectives, policies, goals, maps and programs to guide the
future development of the various modes of transportation, including highways,
transit, transportation systems for persons with disabilities, bicycles, walking,
railroads, air transportation, trucking and water transportation. The element
shall compare the local governmental unit's objectives, policies, goals and
programs to state and regional transportation plans. The element shall also
identify highways within the local governmental unit by function and incorporate
state, regional and other applicable transportation plans, including transportation
corridor plans, county highway functional and jurisdictional studies, urban
area and rural area transportation plans, airport master plans and rail plans
that apply in the local governmental unit.
4. Utilities and community facilities
element
A compilation of objectives, policies, goals, maps and programs to guide the
future development of utilities and community facilities in the local governmental
unit such as sanitary sewer service, storm water management, water supply,
solid waste disposal, on-site wastewater treatment technologies, recycling
facilities, parks, telecommunications facilities, power-generating plants and
transmission lines, cemeteries, health care facilities, child care facilities
and other public facilities, such as police, fire and rescue facilities, libraries,
schools and other governmental facilities. The element shall describe the location,
use and capacity of existing public utilities and community facilities that
serve the local governmental unit, shall include an approximate timetable that
forecasts the need in the local governmental unit to expand or rehabilitate
existing utilities and facilities or to create new utilities and facilities
and shall assess future needs for government services in the local governmental
unit that are related to such utilities and facilities.
5. Agricultural, natural and cultural
resources element
A compilation of objectives, policies, goals, maps and programs for the conservation,
and promotion of the effective management, of natural resources such as groundwater,
forests, productive agricultural areas, environmentally sensitive areas, threatened
and endangered species, stream corridors, surface water, floodplains, wetlands,
wildlife habitat, metallic and nonmetallic mineral resources, parks, open spaces,
historical and cultural resources, community design, recreational resources
and other natural resources.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the State Historical Society
and UW-Madison’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences are working
together on a guide for this element of Smart Growth. It will be available
in 2001 and you will be able to access it from this site.
6. Economic development element
A compilation of objectives, policies, goals, maps and programs to promote
the stabilization, retention or expansion, of the economic base and quality
employment opportunities in the local governmental unit, including an analysis
of the labor force and economic base of the local governmental unit. The element
shall assess categories or particular types of new businesses and industries
that are desired by the local governmental unit. The element shall assess the
local governmental unit's strengths and weaknesses with respect to attracting
and retaining businesses and industries, and shall designate an adequate number
of sites for such businesses and industries. The element shall also evaluate
and promote the use of environmentally contaminated sites for commercial or
industrial uses. The element shall also identify county, regional and state
economic development programs that apply to the local governmental unit.
7. Intergovernmental cooperation element
A compilation of objectives, policies, goals, maps and programs for joint planning
and decision making with other jurisdictions, including school districts and
adjacent local governmental units, for siting and building public facilities
and sharing public services. The element shall analyze the relationship of
the local governmental unit to school districts and adjacent local governmental
units, and to the region, the state and other governmental units. The element
shall incorporate any plans or agreements to which the local governmental unit
is a party under s. 66.023, 66.30 or 66.945. The element shall identify existing
or potential conflicts between the local governmental unit and other governmental
units that are specified in this paragraph and describe processes to resolve
such conflicts.
8. Land-use element
A compilation of objectives, policies, goals, maps and programs to guide the
future development and redevelopment of public and private property. The element
shall contain a listing of the amount, type, intensity and net density of existing
uses of land in the local governmental unit, such as agricultural, residential,
commercial, industrial and other public and private uses. The element shall
analyze trends in the supply, demand and price of land, opportunities for redevelopment
and existing and potential land-use conflicts. The element shall contain projections,
based on the background information specified in par. (a), for 20 years with
detailed maps, in 5-year increments, of future residential, agricultural, commercial
and industrial land uses including the assumptions of net densities or other
spatial assumptions upon which the projections are based. The element shall
also include a series of maps that shows current land uses and future land
uses that indicate productive agricultural soils, natural limitations for building
site development, floodplains, wetlands and other environmentally sensitive
lands, the boundaries of areas to which services of public utilities and community
facilities, as those terms are used in par. (d), will be provided in the future,
consistent with the timetable described in par. (d), and the general location
of future land uses by net density or other classifications.
9. Implementation element
A compilation of programs and specific actions to be completed in a stated
sequence, including proposed changes to any applicable zoning ordinances, official
maps, sign regulations, erosion and storm water control ordinances, historic
preservation ordinances, site plan regulations, design review ordinances, building
codes, mechanical codes, housing codes, sanitary codes or subdivision ordinances,
to implement the objectives, policies, plans and programs contained in pars.
(a) to (h). The element shall describe how each of the elements of the comprehensive
plan will be integrated and made consistent with the other elements of the
comprehensive plan, and shall include a mechanism to measure the local governmental
unit's progress toward achieving all aspects of the comprehensive plan. The
element shall include a process for updating the comprehensive plan. A comprehensive
plan under this subsection shall be updated no less than once every 10 years.