Barriers to implementation of low-impact and conservation subdivision design: Developer perceptions and resident demand

Urban expansion places pressure on municipalities to deal with conflicts between development and conservation of natural resources along the urban–rural interface. Although they do not address large-scale problems such as suburban sprawl, alternative development techniques such as conservation subdivision designs include features that can mitigate undesirable site-scale effects of development on water quality or sensitive ecological areas. This approach has not been widely used in the Midwestern United States, so this study explores some possible barriers to implementation. Developers throughout Iowa and residents of conservation and standard subdivisions in one Iowa municipality were surveyed to assess perceptions of low-impact and conservation designs. Developer respondents perceive consumer indifference and lack of willingness to pay for open spaces in residential design, basing perceptions of market demand on their own prior experiences that do not include these design approaches. Developers expressed concern about the potential for greater cost for creating alternative subdivisions which also discourages their use. Consumers, however, indicated that open spaces in their neighborhoods were both important and attractive. They reported frequent use of open spaces and willingness to pay for more open spaces. Developers’ perceptions of barriers should be considered by planners who could encourage developers to use innovative designs by providing flexible standards and faster approval for low-impact or conservation designs. Local governments could also increase adoption of these approaches by soliciting resident input and providing information about resident demand for these designs to developers in their municipalities.