1) What is the most common regulatory tool used by local governments throughout the country?  

  2) Does zoning help city planners bring about orderly growth?

  3) What is zoning used to?

  4) Must regulations specify the types and sequence of review?

  5) What should be presented so that it’s easy to find and use?

Find the English equivalent s of the following Russian

Phrases in the text .

  1) Правила зонирования (населённого пункта) ;  

  2) постановление о зонировании и использовании городских территорий; 

  3) установленные законом разрешения;   

  4) постановление местных органов;   

  5) установленные требования.

Fill in the gaps with the words from the box.

Each word can be used only once.

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   1) Zoning __________ divide a town, city, village, or county into separate residential, commercial, and __________ districts, thereby preserving the desirable characteristics of each type of setting.

    2) There is no “right” __________ to craft or organize a zoning bylaw; local __________ are as varied as the communities that adopt them.

3) Zoning Districts, including lists of uses allowed within each zoning district‚ related dimensional and __________ standards, and any other __________ that are specific to each district.

4) Boundary descriptions __________ may be included in the regulations or __________ on or appended to the zoning map.

5) Graphics can and should be used to help __________ terms and __________.

Circle the Odd Word Out.

1) City‚ town‚ village;

2) home, local, illocal;

3) law, length, locations;

4) district, house, zone;  

5) border, boundaries, frontier.

Translate the sentences into English

using the Present Continuous Tense.

1) Наши юристы сейчас подготавливают все необходимые для этой процедуры документы.

2) Мы больше не ждём рекомендательного письма от них.

3) Вы всё ещё ожидаете телефонного звонка из той организации?

4) Господин Уайт на данный момент не работает, он в отпуске.

5) Наши специалисты стараются найти другие способы разрешения возможного конфликта с местными властями.

Text

Allocation of Land Plots

     Although the system of urban development planning has changes  since past  times,  current  procedures  still  largely reflect the

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central-planning approach. In particular the process is still heavily orientated towards the use of prescriptive end-state master plans. The planning system has failed to effectively develop in a way that enables it to assure effective and efficient land use outcomes within a market-driven economy. As a result plans that do exist are outdated and/or inappropriate for the needs of modern urban areas subject to market-driven development pressures. In addition, poor planning and approval mechanisms, and tenuous linkages between the plan-making and land management processes, mean that the implementation and enforcement of plans is inadequate and ineffective.

     Underlying the sluggish pace of change in the approach to urban planning is a slow move away from the notion that the country is still responsible for implementing the master plan, i.e. that government plans, designs and builds towns and cities. Although attitudes are changing, the idea has not yet been fully embraced that implementation of plans should now mean being more responsive to private sector initiatives and needs, and planners taking a less prescriptive role in the development process.

      Another issue that the planning and land systems must address is that current legislation and regulations incorporate variable policies depending on the location of the land and the status of the urban area. There are needs to be a harmonization of planning rules and regulations.

      There are two  broad  types  of  land  allocation.  The first is the

process for land allocated at no cost to citizens under the Law on Land Allocation to Citizens. The second is for all other land allocations. The law on land allocation stipulates the criteria and procedure for implementing the policy of giving every citizen a plot of land for household uses. There are three categories of tenure for private plots, namely ‘possession’, ‘ownership’ and ‘use’. The ownership category was newly introduced by the law on land allocation in 2003.

      ‘Possession’ and ‘ownership’ are covered by prescribed procedures that result in registration of the land. Possession licences have duration of 15 to 60 years and can be extended once by 40 years. In most cases a possession license is a pre-requisite for applying for ownership, which makes ownership a two stage process. Ownership is not time-bound.  Under  the land law ‘Use’ is a category of short-term

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occupation. It follows a similar procedure to possession but does not result in any registration. Use is for 5 years and can be extended in 5-year terms.

      For land that does not come under the category of free allocation to citizens an auction or tender process is used. This covers all land in the established formal areas and large plots or plots for non-domestic use outside the formal area.

      The auction/tender system is not well designed to respond to development initiatives from the private sector. It is a supply-driven process with Government setting the pace and types of land release. It needs to be more demand-driven. The current process is also far from transparent. Although reference is supposed to be made to the urban master plan, it is evident that this does not always happen. Whilst there may be good reasons to adjust the master plan to fit new proposals, these decisions are not in the public domain.

Exercises