The field of land development has many components to it that are involved with getting a project from just an idea to actually being constructed.
The following are seven common terms that can be found in land development.
1) Land development
2) Subdivision
3) Land surveying
4) Civil engineer
5) Ordinance
6) Stormwater management
7) Grading
1. Land Development
The term land development itself refers to the reshaping of the land to properly construct proposed buildings, paving, and associated utilities per regulatory requirements.
2. Subdivision
There are times when a land development might include a land subdivision that is to take place at about the same time of the land development plan approval.
Subdivision is the dividing of land into smaller parcels of land per regulatory requirements.
3. Land Surveying
Land surveying refers to the process of determining locations and elevations of existing and proposed features of a land development project.
4. Civil Engineer
A civil engineer is the professional who will either design or review a particular land development project to meet regulatory requirements.
5. Ordinance
An ordinance is a set of local requirements with which a proposed project has to comply as determined by the municipality within which the project is located.
6. Stormwater Management
Stormwater management refers to the collecting, storing, and managing of rainwater before it leaves the site of a proposed project.
7. Grading
Grading is the process of designing how the proposed ground of a project should look like after it has been constructed.
Land Development Is a Complex Topic
Land development is too large of a topic to be covered by this one article. This is why civil engineers spend years learning about the many elements of land development and should be able to answer the questions you might have regarding the design of your project.
Related: How to Create a Land Development Design (In 12 Steps)
