GIS Seminar: Conservation Subdivision Design: using bluffland protection to aid residential development
| Date/Time: | Monday, 07 Feb 2011 from 12:10 pm to 1:00 pm |
|---|---|
| Location: | GIS Lab, 526 College of Design |
| Cost: | free |
| Contact: | Monica Haddad |
| Phone: | 515-294-8979 |
| Channel: | College of Design |
| Categories: | Lectures |
| Actions: | Download iCal/vCal | Email Reminder |
Forest land preservation in northeast Iowa is critical as this area is home to a large portion of the Driftless Area, a unique ecosystem created by the last continental glacier resulting in steep, rugged blufflands. In particular, Allamakee County has established a land-use ordinance in the form of an overlay district called the Bluffland Protection Overlay District. The purpose of this ordinance is to "…protect sensitive natural features, and preserve the scenic qualities of bluffs." (Allamakee County Zoning Ordinance & Subdivision Regulations, 2008)
With the creation of the bluffland protection district, Allamakee County inadvertently created an opportunity to establish a regional conservation map. This map would identify conservation opportunities and aid the proposal for allowing conservation subdivision design in rural, unincorporated areas. For his project, Sloss established a bluffland protection district model utilizing Model Builder, and then identified potential sites adjacent to scenic areas minimizing the ecological affects of residential development. Randall Arendt's Conservation Subdivision Design methodology was used to establish the regional conservation map.
The GIS Seminar Series is sponsored by the Community and Regional Planning Program. It is free and open to the public.