What Does PUD Mean?

Posted under environment by Adam Ciboch

A PUD has nothing to do with any breed of dog that may not be spelled correctly. The initials, PUD concern Planned Unit Development. Creating a “planned community,” which is the goal of a PUD, means combining different land development scenarios together; single-family homes, multi-family homes, commercial sectors and any combination of the above. Some kind of governing home organization is always associated with a PUD. It should come as no surprise that PUDs can be either good or bad, as are most things in life.

PUDs date back to the 1950s (like Levittown) and are almost always found in urban areas. Building development is often varied, revealing different uses for land such as housing, recreation, commercial centers and industrial parks. All are contained within one development or subdivision. Planned Unit Development is land regulation which promotes large scale realistic programs that include public and common open space, integrated zoning with multiple land uses, and limited numbers of industrial districts which are geared mostly to light industry.

Smaller, private yards as well as a large, open shared space are available in most homes that are found in a PUD. The large, protected open spaces found in a PUD are deliberately created by the layout of the buildings, and are designed specifically for all the residents of the development to use. With a PUD, diverse types of housing suiting the needs of families of different sizes are often combined, unlike other housing developments.

One of the most important features in developing a neighborhood character concerns street patterns and PUD streets are different from those found in other housing developments. Usage determines the establishment of a hierarchy of different street types in a PUD. In a PUD, residents travel via local streets that are known to maintain a low traffic levels. Everything is connected in a PUD, including the major travel routes, which connect with the local streets.

That neighborhood character is further enhanced in the PUD by sidewalks and pedestrian ways. The emphasis is on mobility in a PUD, and it is for this reason that there are sidewalks on at least one side of every street. Circulation systems link the different residential groupings, schools and shopping areas. Each element of the PUD works together with the other, enhancing the whole. Unlike conventional zoning practices, PUD zoning rules are aimed at compatibility with the needs of the residents.

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