Guidelines for land-use planning


Table of contents


FAO Development Series 1
ISSN 1020-0819

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Prepared by the
Soil Resources, Management and Conservation Service
under the guidance of the
Inter-Departmental Working Group on Land Use Planning

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS
Rome, 1993

Land-use planning is sometimes misunderstood as being a process where planners tell people what to do. In this publication, land-use planning means the systematic assessment of physical, social and economic factors in such a way as to encourage and assist land users in selecting options that increase their productivity, are sustainable and meet the needs of society.

Reprinted 1996

The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

David Lubin Memorial Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

FAO, Rome (Italy)
Guidelines for land-use planning.
(FAO Development Series No. 1)
ISBN 92-5-103282-3

1. Land use 2. Planning
I. Title II. Series

FAO code: 59 AGRIS: E11

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Applications for such permission, with a statement of the purpose and extent of the reproduction, should be addressed to the Director, Information Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy.

© FAO 1993


Contents


Foreword

Acknowledgements

Summary

Chapter 1. Nature and scope

What is land-use planning?
When is land-use planning useful?
Making the best use of limited resources
Goals
The focus of land-use planning
Planning at different levels
Application

Chapter 2. Overview of the planning process

The need for flexibility
Planning and implementation
Planning as an iterative process
The land-use plan

Chapter 3. Steps in land-use planning

Step 1. Establish goals and terms of reference
Step 2. Organize the work
Step 3. Analyse the problems
Step 4. Identify opportunities for change
Step 5. Evaluate land suitability
Step 6. Appraise the alternatives: environmental, economic and social analysis
Step 7. Choose the best option
Step 8. Prepare the land-use plan
Step 9. Implement the plan
Step 10. Monitor and revise the plan

Chapter 4. Methods and sources

Glossary

Bibliography

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