Neighborhood Associations Recent trends have pushed urban land-use planning from the city level to the regional level. This gives planners the opportunity to override the democratic process. Yet it is difficult to see why anyone but planners would think that overriding the democratic process is a good thing. Individual neighborhood associations would plan their neighborhood's future, write zoning rules, and enforce those rules. The city's job would be to help neighborhoods enforce their codes.
Performance Zoning An alternative to zoning by neighborhood associations is performance zoning .
Performance zoning which is based on outcomes, not prescriptions. Instead of dictating densities and land uses, a performance zoning code specifies that landowners cannot cause certain effects, such as noise, traffic, or pollution. So long as they can meet these goals, landowners can do whatever the want. Performance zoning was most successfully applied in Ft. The most-publicized part of Vice President Al Gore's plan to curb urban sprawl was a proposal for a huge federal fund that cities could use to purchase open space and greenbelts.