From Book News, Inc.
A comprehensive reference on the land development design process, for professionals including engineers, planners, surveyors, architects, attorneys, and developers. Sections on local government planning and regulatory functions; securing project approvals; site analysis; environmental considerations; soils; water supply systems; real property law; and GPS and GIS contain b&w diagrams, detailed drawings, reports at various design stages, and charts, illustrating the design and approval process for residential, commercial, and retail land development projects. Includes example problems, and an extended case study of an actual development in Virginia. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

Planning Magazine, Sept. 2004
Updated…how-to book that aspires to be both extensive and detailed…table of contents…runs 13 pages…engineering perspective is dominant...

Review
How to develop. "Forty years ago, for a typical suburban house, the cost of engineering, planning, and surveying, including fees paid to agencies, was about the cost of a refrigerator today. Today it is probably greater than the total cost of all of kitchen and other electronic appliances combined." So write Sidney Dewberry and Dennis Couture in the overview chapter that introduces the mammoth second edition of the Land Development Handbook: Planning, Engineering, and Surveying (2002; McGraw-Hill; 1,124 pp.; $150). A development and consulting firm, the Dewberry Companies, is listed as author, which seems appropriate since most of the 26 editors and contributing authors are employees of the firm.

The first edition of this handbook was published in 1996. For this version, several of the 41 chapters have been updated, and the order of presentation has been changed to reflect the way issues come up in a project. There are six sections: feasibility and site analysis, conceptual design, schematic design, final design, plan submission and permitting, and construction. This is a how-to book that aspires to be both extensive and detailed; its table of contents alone runs 13 pages.

As the title and cover photo suggest, the authors focus on development of greenfields. The engineering perspective is dominant, and the book's brief mentions of smart growth and new ways of designing feel largely extraneous to the business at hand. Thus, the 51-page chapter on suburban street design devotes two pages to pedestrians, and the list of suggested readings in the chapter on development patterns and principles includes no work published since 1990.

Book Description
Successfully navigate the confusing maze of land development

If you're looking for cutting-edge blockbuster coverage of the land development process, the search ends here! Written by one of the nation's premier consulting firms, this new edition delivers up-to-date coverage of planning, engineering, and surveying . . . all with over 700 illustrations, including diagrams, detailed drawings, plats, and reports generated at the various design stages, as well as charts, tables, and more.

This edition includes regulatory changes; new data on open space areas for landscape architects; coverage of the latest advances in GPS and GIS technology; new perspectives on urban growth; and updated case studies, plans, and details. You'll find a thorough description of the design and approval process for residential, commercial, and retail land development projects and access to valuable bottom-line information on:

* Environmental issues, including erosion and sediment control, storm water management, environmental impact studies and assessments, and water quality
* Types of local regulations; where to get necessary project approval; what to expect during the process
* Site analysis and selection criteria for feasibility studies
* Technical information on the design of suburban infrastructure components such as water treatment and supply systems, sanitary sewer systems, storm drain systems, and roads
* The complete spectrum of surveying methods, including Global Positioning System Surveys and Geographic Information Systems

Book Info
Delivers up to date coverage of planning, engineering, and surveying, including diagrams, detailed drawings, plats, and reports generated at the various design stages, as well as charts, tables, and more.

From the Back Cover
A "BIG PICTURE" VIEW OF THE INCREASINGLY COMPLEX LAND DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

Once a relatively simple matter, land development has today become a complicated art and science unto itself, and one that has wide implications for entire urban economies. The many factors involved are enough the challenge the savviest engineer, planner, surveyor, architect, attorney, developer¿or any professional who must navigate the confusing maze the land development process has become.

Written by one of the nation's premier consulting firms, this new edition delivers up-to-date coverage of planning, engineering, and surveying . . . all with over 700 illustrations, including diagrams, detailed drawings, plats, and reports generated at the various design stages, as well as charts, tables, and more. You'll find a thorough description of the design and approval process for residential, commercial, and retail land development projects and access to valuable bottom-line information on:
* Environmental issues, including erosion and sediment control, storm water management, environmental impact studies and assessments, and water quality
* Types of local regulations; where to get necessary project approval; what to expect during the process
* Site analysis and selection criteria for feasibility studies
* Technical information on the design of suburban infrastructure components such as water treatment and supply systems, sanitary sewer systems, storm drain systems, and roads
* The complete spectrum of surveying methods, including Global Positioning System Surveys and Geographic Information Systems

COST ESTIMATING?

If you're looking for cutting-edge blockbuster coverage of the land development process, the search ends here.

NEW IN THE SECOND EDITION
* Regulation changes by FEMA, EPA, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and more
* New data on open space areas for landscape architects
* Coverage of the latest advances in GPS and GIS technology
* New perspectives on urban growth (Smart Growth as well as updated Development Types)
* Updated case studies, plans, and details

About the Author
THE DEWBERRY COMPANIES, headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia, started out as a six-person civil engineering company in 1956 serving the northern Virginia area. Since then the company has grown to a nationally known design firm with over 1,600 employees, 26 offices, an amazing array of people, resources, and capabilities. Dedicated to architecture, planning, and surveying, the Dewberry Companies is rated one of the top 100 land development firms in the United States by the ENR.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Once a relatively simple matter, land development has today become a complicated art and science unto itself, and one that has wide implications for entire urban economies. The many factors involved are enough to challenge the savviest engineer, planner, surveyor, architect, attorney, developer or any professional who must navigate the confusing maze the land development process has become.

Written by one of the nation's premier consulting firms, this new edition delivers up-to-date coverage of planning, engineering, and surveying...all with over 700 illustrations, including diagrams, detailed drawings, plats, and reports generated at the various design stages, as well as charts, tables, and more. You'll find a thorough description of the design and approval process for residential, commercial, and retail land development projects and access to valuable bottom-line information on:

Environmental issues, including erosion and sediment control, storm water management, environmental impact studies and assessments, and water quality

Types of local regulations; where to get necessary project approval; what to expect during the process Site analysis and selection criteria for feasibility studies Technical information on the design of suburban infrastructure components such as water treatment and supply systems, sanitary sewer systems, storm drain systems, and roads

The complete spectrum of surveying methods, including Global Positioning System Surveys and Geographic Information Systems

SYNOPSIS

A "BIG PICTURE" VIEW OF THE INCREASINGLY COMPLEX LAND DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

Once a relatively simple matter, land development has today become a complicated art and science unto itself, and one that has wide implications for entire urban economies. The many factors involved are enough the challenge the savviest engineer, planner, surveyor, architect, attorney, developer￯﾿ﾽor any professional who must navigate the confusing maze the land development process has become.

Written by one of the nation's premier consulting firms, this new edition delivers up-to-date coverage of planning, engineering, and surveying . . . all with over 700 illustrations, including diagrams, detailed drawings, plats, and reports generated at the various design stages, as well as charts, tables, and more. You'll find a thorough description of the design and approval process for residential, commercial, and retail land development projects and access to valuable bottom-line information on:
* Environmental issues, including erosion and sediment control, storm water management, environmental impact studies and assessments, and water quality
* Types of local regulations; where to get necessary project approval; what to expect during the process
* Site analysis and selection criteria for feasibility studies
* Technical information on the design of suburban infrastructure components such as water treatment and supply systems, sanitary sewer systems, storm drain systems, and roads
* The complete spectrum of surveying methods, including Global Positioning System Surveys and Geographic Information Systems

COST ESTIMATING?

If you're looking for cutting-edge blockbuster coverage ofthe land development process, the search ends here.

NEW IN THE SECOND EDITION
* Regulation changes by FEMA, EPA, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and more
* New data on open space areas for landscape architects
* Coverage of the latest advances in GPS and GIS technology
* New perspectives on urban growth (Smart Growth as well as updated Development Types)
* Updated case studies, plans, and details

FROM THE CRITICS

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