Glossary of Planning Terms

Glossary is usually defined as an alphabetical list of technical terms in some specialized field of knowledge. This knowledge base glossary provides a collection of knowledge base documents that define many technical terms. These terms are arranged alphabetically, but you can quickly jump to a specific term by selecting its first letter from the index of the knowledge base glossary below.

A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z

Keyword

Term
Berm
An earthen mound designed to provide visual interest on a site, screening of undesirable views, noise reduction, etc.
Best Management Practices (Bmps)
A structural device or nonstructural practice designed to temporarily store or treat stormwater runoff in order to mitigate flooding, reduce pollution, and provide other amenities. (Section 32-171(a)(9) of the Stormwater Management Code)
Bikeway
A lane, path, or other surface reserved exclusively for bicyclists.
Buffer
Planning: An area of land designed or managed for the purpose of separating and insulating two or more land areas whose uses conflict or are incompatible (trees separating homes from an expressway). GIS: 1. A combination of physical space and vertical elements, such as plants, berms, fences, or walls, the purpose of which is to separate and screen incompatible land uses from each other. 2. In GIS, an area of a specified distance around spatial features, useful for proximity analysis (e.g., find all stream segments within 300 feet of a proposed logging area).
Bufferyard
One of several specific combinations of minimum building setbacks, landscaped yard widths, and plant material requirements set forth in the Landscape Manual for use in buffering incompatible land uses.
Build-Out
Completion of a development to the maximum extent approved. See also:  Holding Capacity
Bus Rapid Transit (Brt)
A fixed guideway transit (FGT) system in which buses operate (entirely or in segments) on dedicated rights-of-way that are physically separate or otherwise off-limits to regular vehicular traffic. These systems are often constructed so that they can be upgraded to light-rail vehicle operations when ridership grows beyond the operational capacity of transit buses. The Flash in Montgomery County is an example of BRT.