Part 2: Neighborhood Land Use

Putting together the land use pieces is an important part of what a city planner does. But before the city planner can do that, they must talk with people who live in the community to see what kinds of land uses they would like to have, and where. That is why it is important for people to be involved in their local government.

City planners must also find the right balance between various land uses. What would happen if there weren't enough homes for the people who work in your community? Where would they live? How would they get to work? Is there enough open space, such as parks, where people can play sports and have picnics?

LAND USE DEFINITIONS:
Land use: The way that land is used.
Commercial: Stores where people buy things or services; retail.
Dwelling Unit: The space where someone lives, such as a house or apartment.
Industrial: Factories, machine shops, warehouses.
Multi-Family Residential: Two or more families per building (i.e., apartments). A clue is the number of street addresses. Also, each dwelling unit will have its own electrical meter on the side of building.
Recreation: Amusement park, bowling center, miniature golf, golf course, baseball or football stadium.
Single Family Residential: One family per house/building; typically with one home per lot.
Vacant Building: No one is using building. Things to look for which may indicate that building is vacant: "for lease" sign, boarded-up windows and doors, no signs, no furniture.
Vacant Undeveloped Land: No buildings.

1. Land Use Blitz - Break into groups of 5-6 students and have a contest to see who can list the most land uses. Use a piece of paper with the following column headings: Residential, Commercial, Industrial, Public, Open Space. List examples of different land uses under each of these five groups.
2. Land Use - Who Needs It? - Every community needs certain land uses, such as schools and parks. Some land uses, such as gas stations or sewage treatment plants, need special care in choosing their location to make sure they "fit" well into a neighborhood. We all use cars, and cars need gas stations, but would you want a gas station in your neighborhood? Neighbors may disagree about which land uses belong in their neighborhood and which may be harmful. Some land uses are more controversial than others. As your class talks about the list of land uses below, take a vote by raising your hand if you agree that a use belongs in the study neighborhood. What uses did most students feel did not belong? Why not? Why did some students think it did belong? Note: this activity can be organized as a formal debate for higher grade levels.

   Preschool
   Sewage Treatment Plant
   Fire Station
   Church, Synagogue or Mosque
   Group Care Home for Developmentally Disabled (10 people)
   Gas Station
   Car Wash
   Park and Ride Lot
   

3. Land Use Photo Safari –You live in and belong to a community called the City of Rancho Cucamonga. Every community has special places, such as schools, churches, museums, shopping centers, parks, historic landmarks, industry and government buildings. Take a photo safari with a digital camera to find and record your impressions of special places in Rancho Cucamonga. Like a real-life photo safari, this can be done by car or on foot. Create a booklet of photos with captions explaining why you think these places are special, unique, important, similar or different. Observe the people and note how they use these places. For additional instructions and help, go to the Apple Learning Interchange. If you don’t have a digital camera, you can clip photos from magazines and newspapers to paste into a booklet.

Important: Adult supervision is required. Have your parent or teacher take you to these special community places. Do not go onto private property.