Evaluation Sourcebook (.pdf) - School of Natural Resources and ...

SOCIALOBJECTIVESEconomy | Community Character | Interaction & Engagement | Capacity | SustainabilityLAND USETraditional land use patterns, suchas farming or ranching, may be keyto a community’s sense of characteror identity. A project goal may be tomaintain current patterns of land usein the face of change such as urbansprawl, which detracts fromcommunity character, as well ashealth, community cohesion andother aspects of community wellbeing.Land use can refer to the dominant type of the land use orcover (agriculture, residential/commercial development,public/private forest, etc). It can also refer to howresidents interact with parts of the landscape. For example,are city parks well-maintained and used? Are streets andvacant lots kept clean?For an example of a land use classification system see theSoutheast Michigan Council of Governments detailed landuse summary on:http://www.semcog.org/cgi-bin/comprof/profiles.cfmDifferent groups within the community may have different land use pattern goals. Creatingaffordable housing or commercial space, for example, may result in the conversion ofnatural habitat or open space that is valued by the community; at the same time, this changemay be addressing other high priority needs identified by the community.V Sample objectives• Preserve and protect the rural agricultural community character• Protect open space• Transform vacant lotsSample evaluation questions and indicatorsX How is the local landscape changing? How do residents perceive these changes? Number of farms converted to non-farm activities in the past yearNumber of new parks/recreation areas createdNumber of new residential developments/new homes builtNumber of acres of open space near villages? Towns? Communities?Number of community garden plots within city limitsCleanliness of communityResponses to survey, interview and/or focus group questionsX What is the pattern of development on the landscape? Does it reflect “smart growth”principles? (see also Sprawl/Unplanned Development, p. 134) Miles of road (“pavement”)Adoption of a regional growth strategyVehicle ownership, fuel consumption and travel per capitaProportion of surface area that is impervious surfacePercent of residences located within ½ mile of a marketPercent of new residential lots within ¼ mile of servicesPrivately owned acres placed under conservation easementRatio of urban space to developed landEcosystem Management Initiative 68