Donate Join Our Mailing List Home
Southwest Energy Efficiency Project Southwest Energy Efficiency Project

Wasatch Choices 2040

Land Use and Transportation Planning Case Study

Over 80 percent of Utah residents live along the rapidly-growing Wasatch Front, where the population is expected to increase by approximately 34,000 each year. The Wasatch Front Regional Council (WFRC) and the Mountainland Association of Governments (MAG) are responsible for creating the official, federally-recognized regional transportation plan for the Wasatch Front.

A Steering Committee guided development of a comprehensive plan, or "vision" report, for land use and transportation. The report, Wasatch Choices 2040, reflects the input of 1,000 area residents, 14 public workshops, and expert analysis from Envision Utah (a local not-for-profit planning organization).

The Vision Scenario in this report steers 13 percent of new development (compared with 4 percent in a business-as-usual (BAU) scenario) into walkable, mixed-use districts with 12 percent more mass transit compared to a 2030 BAU plan, thereby reducing the need for driving. Envision Utah's modeling results show a modest but measurable reduction in vehicle-miles traveled in the Vision Scenario relative to business-as-usual scenario.

The Growth Principles included in the report were adopted unanimously by the elected officials of WFRC and MAG and include ten strategies that local governments can use in planning considerations.

Implementation Strategies for Local Government

  1. Develop a Local Land Reuse Strategy
  2. Provide Incentives for Contiguous Growth and Infill
  3. Preserve Future Transportation and Utility Corridors
  4. Create Walkable Commercial and Mixed-Use Districts
  5. Plan for Transit Oriented Development
  6. Plan for and Build Neighborhood-friendly Elementary Schools
  7. Create a Plan for Workforce Housing
  8. Interconnect Roadways and Pedestrian Paths
  9. Plan for Job Centers and Economic Development Readiness
  10. Plan to Minimize Development and Maximize Conservation on and near Critical Lands

Source: Envision Utah, Wasatch Choices 2040, 2007