Land Use Planning and Management (Resource Management Strategy)

Land use planning and management cuts across many resource management strategies (see Box 1). More efficient and effective land use is linked to several resource management strategies including watershed, water use efficiency, groundwater quality, flood management, parks and recreation, climate change adaptive management, and agricultural lands stewardship. Directing development away from agricultural lands permits multi-objective management of these lands for agricultural preservation, floodplain management, water quality, habitat conservation, and sustainable development. In addition, planning for more compact and sustainable communities, both urban and rural, will assist in reducing reliance on the state’s water supply, and result in more efficient use of California’s water resources. Important considerations of water issues and land use planning include not only the effects of the physical environment, but also the economic and social impacts of land use planning and development.

Stronger collaboration between land use planners and water managers can promote more efficient and effective land-use patterns and integrated regional water management (IRWM) practices, which can produce safer and more resilient communities. Integrating land use and water management consists of planning for the housing and economic development needs of a growing population, while providing for the efficient use of water, water quality, energy, and other resources. The way in which Californians use land — the type of land use, transportation, and level of use — has a direct relationship to water supply and quality, flood management, hazard mitigation, and other water issues. Likewise, the better integrated water resources are, the more efficient local communities can be at producing land use planning benefits and opportunities. For example, compact development patterns in existing urban areas can limit the amount of development in floodplains, leading to improved flood management and safety and more efficient infrastructure.

Land use planners consider water throughout the local land use planning process, and water is a critical element in adopting efficient land use planning policies. The availability of water supplies, water resource features such as streams, wetlands, and groundwater recharge areas, and policies and regulations about water quality, drainage, and flooding are all considered for a community’s land use vision. Planners should also consider the benefits of integrating water- related features for flood management, water supply and quality, recreation, and climate change adaptive management.