Planned Unit Development - Current Definitions

Current Definitions

PUD as a regulatory process is a means of land regulation which promotes large scale, unified land development by means of mid-range, realistic programs in chase of physically curable, social and economic deficiencies in land and cityscapes. Where appropriate, this development control promotes:

• A mixture of both land uses and dwelling types with at least one of the land uses being regional in nature
• The clustering of residential land uses providing public and common open space
• Increased administrative discretion to a local professional planning staff while setting aside present land use regulations and rigid plat approval processes
• The enhancement of the bargaining process between the developer and government municipalities which in turn strengthens the municipality's site plan review and control over development for potentially increased profits due to land efficiency, multiple land uses, and increased residential densities.

Frequently, PUDs take on a variety of forms ranging from small clusters of houses combined with open spaces to new and developing towns with thousands of residents and various land uses. However, the definition of a PUD does not take into consideration these types of developments unless they fit into a category of size ranging from 100 to 200 acres (40 to 81 ha). In a PUD the property owner owns the land the dwelling sits on.