We examined
recent land use conflicts between adjacent cities and counties. We documented
464 interjurisdictional land use conflicts that occurred between 1986
and 1992. The number of land use conflicts with that jurisdictions
experienced in this period varied between 0 and 8. County jurisdictions were more
likely to experience land use conflicts than city jurisdictions. However,
this was primarily due to counties having more borders with other
jurisdictions than cities.
We found that there was a band of conflicts occurring approximately
25-50 miles away from the nearest of four metropolitan centers in
California (Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento). Around
70% of the 105 jurisdictions located within this band had at least one
interjurisdictional land use conflict between 1986-92. The two maps
below show this band for the Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay areas
respectively.
We believe the instigating factors associated with these conflicts
are major changes in land use. At the urban periphery, 120-160 miles
from the nearest metropolitan center, there are conflicts over urban
expansion issues. Typically, these are between cities that want to
annex land or expand development and the counties, who are responsible
for managing the unincorporated areas of the counties. In the old
suburbs (50-80 miles away from the nearest metropolitan center),
housing intensification is occurring; cities which were once primarily
single-family 'bedroom' communities are seeing increases in
multi-family units as well as increases in local retail employment.
In the older suburban cities and very old suburbs (25-40 miles away
from the nearest metropolitan centers, there is an intensification of
employment as industries locate in communities that were historically
residential.
Here is a map of
Here is a map of
Southern California
land use conflicts.
San Francisco Bay Area
land use conflicts.
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