Plans Can Matter! The Role of Land Use Plans and State Planning Mandates in Limiting the Development of Hazardous Areas

How can governments (and communities) reduce susceptibility to losses in natural disasters? Can formally adopted plans be used as a tool in the policy-making process? Raymond J. Burby and Linda C. Dalton link these two issues in an analysis which uses empirical data gathered from 176 local governments in five states to show that land-use plans can serve as a vehicle for limiting development of areas at risk from natural hazards. The authors demonstrate that without state mandates requiring both plans and attention to natural hazards, a number of local governments will ignore opportunities for risk reduction through planning and development-limiting land use regulations. Their findings have important implications for administrative theory and practice because they provide systematic evidence that the rational consideration of community needs and policy alternatives involved in preparation of land use plans can produce tangible community benefits, and that such benefits may not be realized without state requirements for local planning.