- Increase residential density in the City of Ithaca and in Villages.
- Place a greater emphasis on the design of new development.
- Protect and enhance neighborhood identity to create a sense of place among residents.
- Protect agricultural soils and viable farming operations.
- Redirect new development from greenfield sites to places where there is existing infrastructure. Set a goal to locate half of new development in such areas.
- Increase residential density in hamlets to medium density.
- No new infrastructure should be provided to create new low intensity developments.

Summary of Discussion

Design
A new emphasis on design and architecture can result in neighborhoods with a higher quality of life. The design of future development is important to preserve and enhance the quality of life in existing neighborhoods, as well as in new neighborhoods. Each neighborhood should be defined individually, creating a unique identity and sense of place. Land uses (even apparently incompatible ones) can co-exist if designed properly and at a 'human-scale.' Also, accommodating new growth into mixed-use neighborhoods can reduce dependency on automobiles for transportation.

Future development should also incorporate interesting architecture. The aesthetic value will help to build neighborhood identity. Efforts to preserve the historic architecture of neighborhoods should also be incorporated into public policy.

Design and architecture also creates more practical benefits. Appropriate design can result in new development leaving a lighter footprint on the earth, i.e., reducing environmental impacts. It can incorporate the use of rainwater for irrigation, promote energy efficiency and independence, and reduce the production of septage. The quality of life depends on the quality of the environment.

Intensity of Development
Growth in the county can be accommodated with increased intensity, creating beautiful neighborhoods. Future plans should identify new opportunities for high intensity development. Traditional neighborhoods (such as Fall Creek) need not be sacrificed to accommodate future development.

New development needs to mitigate environmental impacts. High intensity will work only if the environment is protected. Otherwise it will be unlivable. Open space land uses (for example, buffers along creeks) should be incorporated into all developed areas, particularly high intensity developments. Also, high intensity areas need water and sewer infrastructure and should not be reliant on septic systems.

Residential density in hamlets should be increased to medium density in order to support the cost of water and sewer infrastructure.

Choice
There needs to be choice and flexibility in housing choices. Not all high density residential development should be low-income housing. There needs to be a high quality of variety in land use and housing. Some people like to live in a low intensity, country setting. There should be opportunities for this type of development as well.

Land Use Relationships
Valuable agricultural soils and viable agricultural operations should be protected. High intensity hamlets can exist in predominantly agricultural areas. The residential areas in these hamlets can be designed to protect the adjoining agricultural operations.

Forested areas and other open spaces in the county should be developed in a way that integrates the human and natural systems. Any proposed development should incorporate a high degree of environmental sensitivity.

Mapping Details
· Increase residential density in the City of Ithaca and in villages.

· Create a new hamlet or village setting in the area around Rogues Harbor (South Lansing).

· Low intensity rural land uses are implicit in the forested and agricultural areas on the future land use map.

· High intensity areas should be mixed-use areas, developed in a patchwork pattern rather than as concentric circles.

· Development in Lansing should be designed to reduce viewshed impacts on the west side of Cayuga Lake.

· Development in southern Lansing should be concentrated in the Village of Lansing and in South Lansing with limited development between these two nodes.

"Vital Communities Workshop Report, 2000-2001", prepared by TCPD & ITCTC, June 2001