New Hampshire Innovative Land Use Planning Techniques: A Handbook for Sustainable Development

October 2008

By: New Hampshire Association of Regional Planning Commissions, New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, New Hampshire Office of Energy and Planning

https://www.nheconomy.com/office-of-planning-and-development/resources/innovative-land-use-planning-techniques-handbook
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Active Transportation

This compendium of model ordinances includes model subdivision and site plan standards for pedestrian-oriented development (Chapter 3.2). It addresses sidewalks and walkways, access and circulation, parking lot design, pedestrian flow, and site and building design. Although focused on New Hampshire, the chapter includes examples from other states.

Environmentally Sensitive Areas

This compendium of model ordinances includes model language and guidance for environmental feature zoning (§2). It addresses steep slopes, habitats, wetlands, groundwater and surface water resources, shoreline, and flood hazard areas. Each section provides a description of the area type, examples of programs around the US that regulate land use in these areas, and model language that can be implemented by local governments.

Farmland Protection | Food Systems

This compendium of model ordinances includes a template for agricultural incentive zoning to help municipalities in New Hampshire draft regulations to protect working farms (Chapter 1.7). It discusses the context and benefits of agricultural incentive zoning, and looks at several examples of New Hampshire communities that have adopted this tool. A downloadable Word template offers model ordinance language for an agricultural conservation district.

Housing Supply Planning

This compendium of model ordinances encourages increasing housing supply and affordable options for all in New Hampshire. Inclusionary housing is addressed in Chapter 1.9Chapter 1.6 provides a template for an infill development overlay to help municipalities draft regulations for context-sensitive infill. 

Inclusionary Housing | Social Equity

This compendium of model ordinances addresses inclusionary housing in Chapter 1.9. It offers a general resource for New Hampshire communities considering adopting an inclusionary housing ordinance, including guidelines on when these policies will be most effective. It provides several case studies of New Hampshire communities, and concludes with a model ordinance and guidance for implementation.

Residential Infill Development

This compendium of model ordinances includes a template for an infill development overlay to help municipalities in New Hampshire draft regulations for context-sensitive infill (Chapter 1.6). Model provisions address applicability, general requirements, permitted uses, and development standards. It includes commentary, with examples from New Hampshire.

Scenic View Protection

This guide includes a chapter with a model ordinance for ridgelines, hillsides, and viewshed protection by promoting carefully designed, low-impact development within a visual resource protection district (Chapter 2.2). It provides an example on how to delineate the protection district, defines terms, incorporates application requirements, and includes design guidelines.

Transfer of Development Rights

This compendium of model ordinances includes a template for density transfer credit regulations to help municipalities in New Hampshire draft regulations for transfer of development rights (Chapter 1.1). Model provisions address authority and purpose, definitions, applicability, designation of districts, density transfer determination, conditional use permit, and use of density transfer fee. It includes commentary, with examples from New Hampshire.

Transit-Oriented Development

This compendium of model ordinances includes a template for transit-oriented development (TOD) zoning to help municipalities in New Hampshire draft regulations to promote TOD (Chapter 3.1). Model provisions address purpose, boundaries, uses, density, setbacks, modifications of development standards, location and access to parking, and building and landscape standards. It includes commentary, with examples from New Hampshire.


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