The latest edition of The Illustrated Book of Development Definitions breaks new ground. It addresses traditional and new planning problems: natural and industrial disasters such as hurricanes and oil spills; new housing types and living accommodations; changes in urban design and practice like new urbanism; sustainability; pedestrian and bicycle friendly environments; and more. Joining Harvey S. Moskowitz and Carl G. Lindbloom, authors of the first three editions, are two prominent, nationally known planners: David Listokin and Richard Preiss. Attorney Dwight H. Merriam adds legal annotations to almost all 2,276 definitions. These citations from court decisions bridge the gap between land use theory and real world application, bringing a new dimension to this edition. More than 20,000 copies of previous editions were sold over four decades to professionals and government representatives, such as members of planning and zoning boards and municipal governing bodies. This first revision in ten years updates what is widely acknowledged as an essential, standard reference for planners.

Illustrated definitions are rarely found in zoning and development ordinances. Ordinances prefer the "thousand words" rather than the "single picture." Illustrations greatly simplify how standards should be applied, particularly where the lot or parcel is irregularly shaped or where there are a number of variables present, each of which might have an impact on how the ordinance might apply in a specific situation. This best-selling resource has been the mainstay of the planner's bookshelf since its first publication and it differs from other books and publications containing development definitions in three major respects: It is illustrated; most of the definitions are designed to be used directly in ordinances with little or no change; and the more complex definitions are accompanied by commentaries and annotations that explain how the definition may be used in an ordinance, along with background information pertinent to the definition. This expanded edition standardizes in one handy reference all the key terms used in zoning, subdivision, site plan, and environmental ordinances. In all, it contains 1,957 definitions and 103 illustrations that can be incorporated in local ordinances with little or no change. Written and illustrated by two professional planners with nearly eighty years of combined experience in the practice of planning and zoning, this is a basic working tool and required reference for anyone involved in land development planning and regulation.

There are specific topics which, in microcosm, bring together many of the strands of a whole society. The pressures at work in responding to the problems involved in these topics both in implementing and retarding their resolution, provide a unique insight into the strains of our time. In many ways, the subject of growth controls is a prime exemplar of this species. Grouped under this rubric are all the environmental concerns which are increasingly prominent: the natural limits of land-holding capacity, the trade-offs between intensive land use, and the physical limitations of earth and space. But these elements, while far from being defined, are much more finite than the particulars at the other end of the spectrum that of the character and individual substance and way of life, which revolve around the level of intensity of land use. For example, as we near the end of the twentieth century, an increasing demand is heard for a return to the simpler, more bucolic environment. Just as the suburb replaced the city as the prime location so the suburb in turn finds it very difficult to compete against the lures of the countryside. The drive towards exurbia, and with is greater levels of decentralization, and with it greater levels of decentralization becomes a dominant theme, at least for the affluent. All these and many other elements are at work within the simple title of Growth Management.

Urban sprawl is one of the key planning issues facing many US cities, leading to the creation and adoption of a variety of approaches to control growth. However, many growth management ideas do not align well with the growth-promoting planning traditions of the US, which historically have been dominated by the concerns of the market, the landowner and the developer. Illustrated by a study of the San Francisco Bay Area, this book puts forward an innovative theoretical approach to growth management, analyzing it as a tool for controlling land use expansion in the US. This region makes a particularly useful study as it has encountered long term growth pressures, complex land use demands and the application of a wide variety of growth management approaches over the past few decades. Using empirical, qualitative analysis, the book examines which growth management activities have actually been put into practice and which have proved successful and questions how such a planning approach functions in today‘s complex and multi-faceted planning paradigms. It concludes by stressing the different notions of interdependence in growth management: regional interdependence, interdependence between stakeholders and interdependence in planning theory.

Compare your agency to other agencies of a similar size or metro area, with respect to income and expense averages, productivity measures, and balance sheet ratios. Examine the metrics of the best performing agencies, and use the digital companion files that come with the book to compare your numbers, compute variances, and improve results. Recommended reading for the Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) Agency Management Course.