The KUSP Land Use Report #22: The Three E’s of Land Use Policy

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The following Land Use Report is presented by Gary Patton, Executive Director of LandWatch Monterey County. The opinions expressed by Mr. Patton are not necessarily those of KUSP Radio, nor of any of our sponsors.

Land use policy isn’t just about the environment. It’s about the environment, the economy, and social equity. Groups that work on land use policy call these "the 3-E’s." Good land use policy strengthens the economy, respects and protects the environment, and promotes greater social equity.

In the 1970’s, in Santa Cruz County, and elsewhere in the Monterey Bay Area, the most important land use issues tended to involve questions of environmental protection. Rural and open space lands were being consumed by urban sprawl. Those issues certainly haven’t disappeared.

Today, though, the preeminent land use policy issues often involve social equity concerns. As growth and development proceed, persons with ordinary and below average incomes are being left behind, particularly with respect to housing opportunities. The "Three E’s" are intertwined. Bad environmental policies can undermine the economy. Paving over productive farmlands, for instance, has negative economic, as well as environmental effects. The same thing is true on the "equity" side. If ordinary working families can’t afford to live in the community, they won’t be able to work in the community—and that’s bad for business. It’s bad for the economy, as well as being bad in terms of social equity. The "Three E’s" are important, and we really do need to pay attention to them all.

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

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