Estimating Residential Development Capacity (Other Publications)

A Guidebook for Analysis and Implementation in Maryland

Editor(s): Maryland Department of Planning
Publication Date: August 2005

29 pages; Inventory ID WP05MD1; English


Estimating Residential Development Capacity	307 KB

Abstract

One of the fundamental questions facing land use planners is whether there is sufficient development capacity to accommodate future residential needs. Until recently, only a few Maryland jurisdictions were doing a thorough job estimating whether they had sufficient new land and redevelopment opportunities to accommodate the growth that is expected to come their way.

That, however, has begun to change. Sparked by the work of a gubernatorial task force, the state of Maryland and its local jurisdictions have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that, for the first time, stipulated that local governments voluntarily measure their future development capacity. The compact also requires the state government to provide local jurisdictions with the technical assistance to do the job. This breakthrough was prompted in part by the passage of Smart Growth legislation eight years ago and was vigorously promoted for the last several years by Maryland homebuilder groups, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and 1000 Friends of Maryland.

Under this agreement, local governments in Maryland are now committed to conduct and include a development capacity (i.e. build-out) analysis when they update their comprehensive plans. [The 1992 Planning Act requires local governments to update their comprehensive plans every six years. All non-charter counties and municipalities are required to submit them to the Maryland Department of Planning for review. Charter counties are not required to do so, but most usually do.]

This change could place Maryland in the ranks of states such as Washington and Oregon that are considered leaders in performing this important, but often ignored, planning function.

The purpose of this Guidebook is to help local governments in Maryland conduct a development capacity analysis for their jurisdictions. Some local governments will do their own analysis; others will use the Maryland Department of Planning’s (MDP) analysis or a modified version thereof.

The Guidebook is primarily designed for local government planners and relies heavily on the Task Force’s final report, which can be downloaded from MDP’s website at http://www.mdp.state.md.us/develop_cap.htm. This Guidebook provides overall guidance for data, methodology, and analysis reporting as well as step-by-step examples. The Task Force’s report was fairly specific in many cases regarding various aspects of the analysis. This is reflected in these guidelines.