The Mis/Alignments of Land Use Controls with Perceived Local Preferences in Porter County, Indiana

Abstract

In the past several decades, exurban areas have grown quickly, and are predicted to continue growing. Two broad schools of thought have emerged to explain low-density growth, one claiming homebuyer preference and the other claiming that local land use controls exclusively require low-density development. Informed by literature on the urban development process and substantive landscapes, this dissertation presents a case study examining how well land use controls in the Chicago exurb of Porter County, Indiana are misaligned or aligned with local preferences. The researcher conducted in-depth interviews with 10 planners, 21 developers, 21 realtors, and 51 residents to garner detailed responses from across the development process regarding both the formal unified development ordinance (UDO) and informal subdivision covenants and restrictions (C&Rs). According to the interviewees' prevailing opinion, the UDO is misaligned with local preferences because it forces densities to be too low, and produces properties that are too costly and too maintenance-intensive. Alternately, a small group of resident and planner interviewees did feel that the UDO matched local preferences because they favored efforts to slow development so that they, as incumbent owners, could continue to enjoy the positive externalities open land provides. Regarding C&Rs, the dominant theme was that covenants fit local preferences because they attempt to keep subdivisions tidy through maintenance and design guidelines in an effort to protect property values. A minority of resident interviewees did not feel C&Rs matched local preferences because homeowners' associations do not have the power, resources, time, or will to enforce covenants and instead must rely on voluntary compliance. Land use control misalignment or alignment varies greatly depending on whether "local" preferences include only established residents or if new and even potential exurbanites are included. Developers, realtors, and many newer residents perceived demand for diverse housing options while incumbent residents and planners perceived local preferences for low-density development only. These findings explain the views of the numerous local groups involved in residential development, thereby furthering literature on the urban development process and substantive landscapes. Practically, this research will also inform thoughtful decisions on how to inclusively plan the control of exurban land.