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Key Terms in Development

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These definitions are direct quotes pulled from a variety of planning and development resources. Sources are noted at the end of the page and most are direct quotes or close paraphrases.

Accessory Use
Affordable Housing
Amenity
Artist Housing
Brownfield
Comprehensive Plan
Density
Downzone
Dwelling Unit
Easement
Footprint (Building)
Floor Area Ratio
Highest and Best Use
Housing Stock
Lifecycle Housing
Market Value
Mixed Income Housing
Mixed Use
Parcel
Pedestrian friendly
Pro Forma
Title
Transit Oriented Development (TOD)
Setback
Site Control
Small Area Plan
Upzone
Walkable
Sources

Accessory Use:
An activity or structure that is secondary to the main use of a site. For example, a small business office within a store might be considered an accessory use, and might not be counted in the calculation of the size of the store for zoning purposes. 1

Affordable Housing:
Housing is affordable if it doesn't cost too much. Some affordable housing is subsidized and some is market rate.Government agencies have various view of what is affordable.  For example, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), housing that is affordable should cost less than 30% of a person's income. However, the City of Minneapolis says that housing is affordable if it meets that threshold for households whose income does not exceed fifty (50) percent of the metropolitan median household income, as determined by HUD. Housing must remain affordable continuously for a period of not less than fifteen years to qualify as affordable housing. 2

Amenity:
A feature of the home or property that serves as a benefit to the buyer but that is not necessary to its use; may be natural or built. 3

Artist Housing:
This is housing where artists live and/or work. It can take on many forms and scales. It usually looks similar to other housing from the exterior; however, it may have different interior design requirements. 4

Brownfield:
Industrial or commercial property that is abandoned or underused and environmentally contaminated, especially when considered as a potential site for redevelopment. 5

Comprehensive Plan:
 Plan for the development of an area, which recognizes the physical, economic, social, political, aesthetic, and related factors of the community involved. Also called a General Plan in some states. 6

Density:
Density is a measure of a number of things per unit area. It is often measured in terms of people, houses, or jobs in a given area. 7

Downzone:
This term refers to the rezoning of land to a more restrictive zone (for example, from multi-family residential to single-family residential or from residential to agricultural). It generally reduces the economic value of land, though it may serve a public benefit. 8

Dwelling Unit:
One or more rooms, designed, occupied or intended for occupancy as a separate living quarter, with a single complete kitchen facility, sleeping area and bathroom provided within the unit for the exclusive use of a single household. 9

Easement:
Usually the right to use property owned by another for specific purposes or to gain access to another property. For example, utility companies often have easements on the private property of individuals to be able to install and maintain utility facilities. 10

Footprint (Building):
The outline of a building at all of the points where it meets the ground. 11

Floor Area Ratio:
The Floor Area Ratio (FAR) is a ratio of the floor area of a building divided by the lot size. It is a measure of the bulkiness of the building. 12

Highest and Best Use:
The use of land or buildings which will bring the greatest economic return over a given time which is physically possible, appropriately supported, and financially feasible. 13

Housing Stock:
An inventory or description of a community's existing residences by age, condition, structure type, number of bedrooms, rental cost or value. 14

Lifecycle Housing:
Varied housing options that meet people's preferences and circumstances at all of life's stages, providing a balance of single-family homes, apartments, condominiums, townhomes, and senior housing for independent living or with a range of assisted-living services. 15

Market Value:
The highest price a property would command in a competitive and open market under all conditions requisite to a fair sale with the buyer and seller each acting prudently and knowledgeably in the ordinary course of trade. 16

Mixed Income Housing:
This is where people with mixed income levels live. Usually, it looks similar to regular housing. 17

Mixed Use:
Mixed use refers to a mixture of different activities in a building, a block, or sometimes a larger area.. In Minneapolis, the Design Center identified several different types of mixed use development near transit already existing in the Twin Cities: 18

  • Central business districts
  • Urban commercial corridors (e.g. Grand Ave., Central Ave., Hennepin Ave.
  • Urban neighborhood centers (e.g. Uptown, Dinkytown, Excelsior and Grand, Cathedral Hill)
  • Neighborhood transit corners (small clusters of shops along old streetcar lines)
  • Suburban employment centers (e.g. Centennial Lakes )
  • Suburban town centers (Dowtown Golden Valley, Heart of the City in Burnsville )
  • Transit centers (Hiawatha LRT)

Parcel:
A lot, or contiguous group of lots, in single ownership or under single control, usually considered a unit for purposes of development. 19

Pedestrian friendly:
In basic terms, pedestrian friendly describes a street or area that has sidewalks on both sides of the roadway and has safe street crossings. In broader terms, it denotes a street, neighborhood, or city that supports, through planning and zoning, the location of stores, offices, residences, schools, recreational areas, and other public facilities within walking distance of each other. Such areas also often feature narrow streets, street trees, awnings, covered transit shelters, benches, brick paving or other less conventional paving types, among other elements. 20

Pro Forma:
A pro forma statement is a financial statement projecting anticipated income, expenses, and cash flow for some specified future period.

Title:
The means whereby the owner of lands has the just and full possession of real property. 21

Transit Oriented Development (TOD):
Transit Oriented Development is a new name for the old idea that people use transit if there is housing and activities they want to get to clustered near transit lines and stations. 22

Setback:
A minimum distance required by zoning to be maintained between two structures or between a structure and property lines. 23

Site Control:
Evidence that a developer has, or will have control of a site by the time financing is committed. Evidence can be a purchase agreement or option to purchase. 24

Small Area Plan:
A plan for part of a municipal area, often a neighborhood or part of a neighborhood. Such plans also be called district or corridor plans.

Upzone:
The rezoning of land to a less restrictive zone (for example, from industrial to residential). Upzoning generally increases the economic value of land. 25

Walkable:
Refers to a single route, or a system of routes, between points that is relatively short, barrier free, interesting, safe, well-lighted, comfortable, and inviting to pedestrian travel. 26

Sources:

  1. Feldstein, L. 2006. General Plan and Zoning: A Toolkit on Land Use and Health. California : California Department of Health Services.
  2. Metropolitan Design Center. Educational Materials and Downloads: Affordable Housing. http://www.housinginitiative.org/affordablehousing.html (accessed September 14, 2006 ).
  3. City of Minneapolis. Code of Ordinances: Definitions. http://www.municode.com/resources/gateway.asp?pid=11490&sid=23 (accessed September 14, 2006 ).
  4. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Homes and Communities: Housing Glossary. http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/buying/glossary.cfm (accessed September 14, 2006 ).
  5. Metropolitan Council. Resources, Reports and Data: Glossary. http://metrocouncil.org/resources/Glossary.pdf. (accessed September 15, 2006 ).
  6. Ibid.
  7. Metropolitan Design Center. (July 2003). Design Brief, Number 8: Measuring Density: Working Definitions for Residential Density and Building Intensity. http://www.designcenter.umn.edu/reference_ctr/publications/dbriefs (accessed September 14, 2006 ).
  8. Feldstein, L. 2006. General Plan and Zoning: A Toolkit on Land Use and Health. California : California Department of Health Services.
  9. City of Minneapolis. Code of Ordinances: Definitions. http://www.municode.com/resources/gateway.asp?pid=11490&sid=23 (accessed September 14, 2006 ).
  10. Feldstein, L. 2006. General Plan and Zoning: A Toolkit on Land Use and Health. California : California Department of Health Services.
  11. Feldstein, L. 2006. General Plan and Zoning: A Toolkit on Land Use and Health. California : California Department of Health Services.
  12. Metropolitan Design Center. Educational Materials and Downloads: Floor Area Ratio. http://www.housinginitiative.org/ floorarearatio (accessed September 14, 2006 ).
  13. http://www.crye-leike.com/commercial/glossary.php
  14. Metropolitan Council. Resources, Reports and Data: Glossary. http://metrocouncil.org/resources/Glossary.pdf. (accessed September 15, 2006 ).
  15. Met Council Glossary ( http://metrocouncil.org/resources/Glossary.pdf )
  16. Crye-Leikie Commercial. Business and Investment Real Estate: Glossary http://www.crye-leike.com/commercial/glossary (accessed September 15, 2006 )
  17. Metropolitan Design Center. (December 2004). Best of Image Bank: Mixed Use. http://www.housinginitiative.org/mixeduse (accessed September 14, 2006 ).
  18. Miller, Nancy and Jeff Miller. 2003. Defining Mixed Use. Metropolitan Design Center http://www.designcenter.umn.edu/reference_ctr/publications/dpointers.html
  19. Feldstein, L. 2006. General Plan and Zoning: A Toolkit on Land Use and Health. California : California Department of Health Services.
  20. National Association of County and City Health Officials and American Planning Association. Public Health Terms for Planners & Planning Terms for Public Health Professionals ( http://archive.naccho.org/Documents/jargon.pdf ) (accessed September 14, 2006 ).
  21. Crye-Leikie Commercial. Business and Investment Real Estate: Glossary http://www.crye-leike.com/commercial/glossary (accessed September 15, 2006 )
  22. Metropolitan Design Center. Educational Materials and Downloads: Transit Oriented Development. http://www.housinginitiative.org/ transitoriented (accessed September 14, 2006 ).
  23. Feldstein, L. 2006. General Plan and Zoning: A Toolkit on Land Use and Health. California : California Department of Health Services.
  24. http://www.lisc.org/twin_cities/resources/development_6809/development_6812.shtml
  25. Feldstein, L. 2006. General Plan and Zoning: A Toolkit on Land Use and Health. California : California Department of Health Services.
  26. Active Living by Design. Glossary http://www.activelivingbydesign.org/index.php?id=10 (accessed September 14, 2006 ).

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