Vacant land within the current urban service boundary can accommodate Lexington’s growth for the near future.
According to a study done by the LFUCG Division of Planning, there are 3,855 (8,305.51 acres) underutilized properties inside Lexington’s city limits representing 13.5% of the total acreage of land within the Urban Services Area.
There are 162 (36.33 acres) lots with structures, 198 (82.87 acres) parking lots, and 3,340 (7,415.89 acres) vacant lands inside the Urban Services Area.
– The LFUCG Division of Planning Vacant Land Analysis, 2007
There are over 8,000 acres of vacant and/or blighted land in the Urban Services Area. The LFUCG Division of Planning Staff estimate that this land can accommodate approximately 14,000 housing units, 50 million square feet of commercial space and 100 million square feet of industrial/research space.
– LFUCG, 2008
Even if we continue to accommodate future population growth in the ways we always have, it will take over 10 years to consume our vacant commercial land, over 17 years to consume our vacant industrial land, and nine years to consume our vacant residential land.
– The LFUCG Division of Planning Vacant Land Analysis, 2005
In addition, 9,518 acres, or 14 square miles of additional Fayette County farmland will be needed to accommodate 20 years of future growth at current land consumption rates. Over the last five years, 2,500 homes have been built each year in Fayette County.
– The LFUCG Division of Planning, 2006
The downtown area alone can support the construction of 424 housing units per year. Presumably, this number could increase if you consider infill properties located throughout the entire urban service boundary.
– Zimmerman & Volk, 2004
We need to re-define our notion of capacity, and establish a visionary land use system by which we can responsibly grow up, not out.
We need this change, because our current notion of capacity is not environmentally responsible or feasible.
For example, from 2000 to 2005, Lexington’s population grew a little over 3%, and yet housing increased 9.8%.
– U.S. Census Bureau
Nationally, between 1982-1997, the U.S. population grew 17% but land development grew 47%.
– Progressive Farmer, March 2008.
If we change the way we think about capacity, we will not only save our farms and other resources, we may also improve our air quality by reducing our dependence on automobile transportation. A badly needed change, considering that Kentucky 7th in the country in carbon dioxide pollution.
–“Kentucky 7th in rising CO2 Emissions”,The Lexington Herald-Leader, June 21, 2006.
Kentuckians emit 8 metric tons of CO2 from transportation per capita while the national average is only 6.9 metric tons per captia.
–Transportation for America, 2009
Further, Lexington-Fayette County emits more carbon dioxide per capita than any other major metropolitan area in the U.S.
– Brookings Institution, 2008
Clearly, we can afford to hold the line on expanding the urban service boundary now, and reassess the need for expansion in another five years.
