Which would you rather have in your community?

Conventional Subdivision	Conservation Subdivision
2-acre house lots	3/4-acre house lots (30,000 sq. ft.)

These two residential subdivision plans have 55 home sites on a 130 acre development. The Conservation Subdivision plan preserves 62%, almost two-thirds, of the land.      Images courtesy of Randall Arendt, "Conservation Design for Subdivisions"      Island Press, 1996

Advantages of conservation subdivisions:
	Saves money: Preserves land at no cost to your community.
	This is not "clustering". Conservation subdivisions preserve a much higher quality and percentage of land than "clustering" and create large networks of interconnected, protected open space.
	Reduces demand for public land acquisition.
	Preserves 50% to 70% or more of the buildable land (in addition to unbuildable wetlands, steep slopes and floodplains).*
	Fair to developers and landowners:   1. Same number of home sites as conventional subdivision development.   2. Proven more profitable, faster selling and less costly.
	Protects water quality. Reduces storm water run-off and treatment costs. Preserves groundwater.
	Makes your job easier: Reduces NIMBY (Not in my backyard!) complaints from current residents.
	Reduces costs: Municipal service costs are cheaper when homes are not widely scattered.
	Possible increased property values and increased tax revenue.
	Preserves your local tourism and agricultural economies.
*In urban, sewered, high density areas zoned at 2-3-4 units per acre, preserving 40% open space, in addition to the unbuildable wetlands, floodplains, and steep slopes, is the norm. In rural, suburban edge areas at densities of 5 to 10 acres per dwelling, easily 70% (or more) of the land can be preserved. For further information about Conservation Subdivisions, we recommend this two-page overview by Randall Arendt (PDF): http://www.greenerprospects.com/CSD_Overview.pdf Case Study: Rose Valley Borough (PDF) Case Study: West Vincent Township (PDF)