These new residential developments typically are bedroom communities from which residents must drive long distances to work, school, and other activities. This type of land use consumes farm land and open space, damaging Virginia's rural economy and natural heritage. It also competes with existing towns and cities, turning economic investment away from Virginia's community centers. Virginia residents are increasingly aware of the effects of current land use patterns on their quality of life, including rising property taxes necessary to cover the costs of additional schools, roads and other public services needed by the new developments.
Developers tend to build where it is easiest and most cost-effective.
Current implementation of Virginia land use policies typically makes rural lands the most attractive place for developers to build. This, in turn, puts pressures on rural landowners to sell their land. To guide development in a way that benefits all of Virginia's communities, the Commonwealth can implement a dual approach of incentives to make it more cost-effective for developers to build in existing communities, along with incentives to ease pressures on rural land owners to sell their land for low density residential or other unsustainable development purposes. Revitalizing Communities Virginia's localities have many tools for revitalization and redevelopment. For example, the job creation threshold to receive certain tax incentives in enterprise zones could be lowered to encourage investments in more small and medium sized businesses.