Using Land-Use Planning Tools to Mitigate Hazards

Abstract

Critical infrastructure such as hazardous liquid and natural gas transmission pipelines has received little attention by planning scholars even though local development management decisions have far-reaching consequences for homeland security, environmental damage, and human exposure. Using a survey of planning directors in North Carolina, the article identifies frequently used tools for mitigating pipeline hazards and examines factors associated with tool adoption. Despite the risks associated with pipeline rupture, most localities use few mitigation tools, and adoption of regulatory and informational tools appear associated with divergent factors. Whereas stakeholder participation, commitment, capacity, and community context were associated with total tool and information tool use, only stakeholder participation and capacity factors were associated with regulatory tool use.