Township Trustees in Ohio
Use and Knowledge of Land Use Planning Tools

Research

Land use change in Ohio takes place predominantly at the township level. As such, Ohio's township trustees are faced with decisions related to land use on a regular basis. In townships where increased development pressure is perceived by trustees, are the land use tools most commonly at their disposal being employed? Are the trustees in these townships participating in continuing education related to land use planning? To what extent is trustee use of land use tools affected by their political views, or their length of tenure or level of educational attainment? To what extent is their use or participation in educational programming affected by their age, gender, or race?

This session will describe the extent to which Ohio's townships have utilized zoning, subdivision regulations, and comprehensive land use planning to manage land use change. The extent to which they participate in educational training related to these land use planning tools, their preferred training provider, and familiarity with Extension land use programs will also be explored. Finally, a detailed demographic analysis of township trustees in Ohio (including gender, age, race, length of tenure, educational attainment, and political views) will be shared.

A discussion of how this information can be used to make Extension's land use planning tools curriculum more relevant to township-level land use decision makers will also be included.