Into the black hole: Do local governments implement their spatial policies?

Do local governments implement their own spatial policies? Why or why not? This article examines the outcomes of county comprehensive plan policies and ordinances that prohibit incompatible uses in sensitive areas, specifically floodplains, sensitive soils, and airport noise zones. Based on a six-county case study, the article concludes that implementation is indeed a problem. Comprehensive plan policies were rarely if ever converted into actual development restrictions. The results for ordinances were mixed, with some (e.g., floodplain ordinances) experiencing greater implementation success than others (e.g., airport land use ordinances). Implementation problems stemmed from property rights issues, departmental structure, and other factors.