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
Feature Class
A collection of geographic features with the same geometry type (such as annotation, point, line, or polygon), the same attributes, and the same spatial reference. Feature classes can be stored in geodatabases, shapefiles, coverages, or other data formats. Feature classes allow homogeneous features to be grouped into a single unit for data storage purposes.
Final Plat
The final detailed drawing (to scale) of a tract of land, depicting the proposed division of the tract into lots, blocks, streets, alleys, or other areas within a proposed subdivision. (See Subtitle 24 for further information regarding Subdivisions.)
Fixed Guideway Transit (Fgt)
Transit service provided on its own right-of-way: a rail track, physically restricted vehicle lanes, or a dedicated roadway in the road and highway system. Both the Metrorail regional rapid transit and MARC commuter rail systems that serve Prince George's County are FGT systems.
Flag Lot
A flag-shaped lot, created under the Optional Residential Design Approach provisions of Subtitle 24, which has a street frontage smaller than that other required for the zone in which it is located.
Floating Zone
A zone that is more flexible than euclidean zones in terms of permissible densities, intensities and land uses and overall development design opportunities. Findings of change or mistake, required for granting a euclidean zone, are not required for floating zones. The Planned Development Zones and Overlay Zones are floating zones.
Floodplain
A relatively flat or lowland area adjoining a river, stream, or watercourse, which is subject to periodic, partial or complete inundation.
Floor Area Ratio (Far)
The ratio of the gross floor area of a building to the area of the lot on which it is located.
Floor Area Ratio (Far)
The ratio of the gross floor area of a building to the area of the lot on which it is located.
Forecast
As defined for use in the Council of Governments (COG) Cooperative Forecasting Program, a projection tempered by stated policy considerations, including the reconciliation of past and current trends with current and future policies. Ideally, forecasts reflect the best professional judgment concerning the impact of trends and present conditions on the future trend of development and the likely effectiveness of policies to alter this trend. Therefore, forecasts should represent the most realistic assessment of the future.
Forest Stand Delineation
A detailed accounting of woody vegetation, prepared in document form, as required by the Prince George's County Woodland Conservation and Tree Preservation Policy Document.
Freeway
A divided highway for through traffic with full control of access and interchanges at selected public roads only.
Functional Master Plan
The approved plan for one of the various elements of the General Plan, such as transportation, schools, libraries, hospitals, health centers, parks and other open spaces, police stations, fire stations, utilities, or historic preservation. (See Section 27-2500 of the Zoning Ordinance.)
Future Water And Sewer Service Areas
Holding zones in which near-term development is deferred until additional residential capacity is required. (See Plan 2035, p. 20.)
Fuzzy Tolerance
The fuzzy tolerance is an extremely small distance used to resolve inexact intersection locations due to limited arithmetic precision of computers. It defines the resolution of a coverage resulting from the CLEAN operation or a topological overlay operation such as UNION, INTERSECT, or CLIP.