Can You Afford Not To?
Physical changes are happening in our communities all the time. But do we know how those changes will affect the economic, social, and environmental aspects of the community, both in the long and short terms? Impact Analysis is an essential exercise that helps planners and decision makers arrive at some definitive conclusions about the future consequences of policy and development decisions before they occur. Impact analysis may not protect planning agencies from all negative situations, but it does help them anticipate, and plan for, many of the major ones.
The number and type of analyses that can be tackled is unlimited and getting started can be daunting. This is where modeling results provide data that helps springboard the effort. Indeed, modeling and analysis are complimentary efforts and neither is very useful without the other.
Some common planning problems that benefit from detailed impact analysis are listed below. However, an open mind is also beneficial, as additional unanticipated impacts are often revealed in the course of studying a specific question.
Regional economy- What are the affects of regional infrastructure investment on economic competition with other national regions?
- What are the affects of commercial development in one municipality/county on business in another?
- How much short- and long-term job creation can be expected due to construction and/or new business?
- What is the potential impact of housing patterns on the demand for elementary and secondary education?
- How does construction affect the surrounding habitat in the long-term?
- What are the runoff/permeability impacts resulting from new development?
