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Li BASIC CONCEPTS <br /> The conceptual framework for the Orange County Land Use Element emerged <br /> from the information base contained in the County-Wide Profile and from <br /> the adopted goals and policies. The basic working concepts reflect a <br /> desire to balance community development needs and concerns with the <br /> constraints and limitations of the natural and existing man-made <br /> environments. They further represent an attempt to modify the <br /> historically evolved land use, patterns to more appropriately reflect <br /> the stated goals and policies for Orange County. <br /> Land uses in Orange County range from urban residential and commercial <br /> development in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro area to the low intensity rural <br /> and agricultural land uses in the northern townships. The primary <br /> factor contributing to the form of development in the County is the <br /> road system. The widespread existence of rural highways along which <br /> commercial enterprises are located at wide intervals serving dispersed <br /> residential development clearly influences and demonstrates a pattern <br /> of settlement decentralization that becomes more obvious as one moves <br /> away from the Towns. <br /> To minimize the existing energy-inefficient and land consuming pattern <br /> of rural sprawl, the Land Use Element is premised on two basic <br /> strategies: activity nodes and infill development. The activity node <br /> strategy serves to cluster commercial and industrial development at <br /> major intersections throughout the County in locations appropriate for <br /> serving the needs of the local residents. The activity nodes are of <br /> various' sizes and types to accommodate specified levels of intensity of <br /> commercial and industrial activities. As designated activity nodes <br /> become "built out" , new activity nodes may be evaluated and located <br /> using the locational criteria for the appropriate land use category or <br /> type of activity node. The primary objective to be achieved through <br /> the use of the, activity node strategy is the efficient and compact use <br /> of the land. <br /> Fundamentally, the activity node strategy seeks to minimize <br /> inappropriate and potentially land consuming development patterns, <br /> particularly as they impact on prime agricultural land. This strategy <br /> cannot be effective without a parallel strategy directed at managing <br /> development trends in the urban and urbanizing areas of the County. <br /> Unlike the rural areas, these urban areas are presently served or are <br /> scheduled to be served by municipal water and sewer systems and contain <br /> other urban support services which allow for a higher density, higher <br /> intensity development pattern. However, even with the presence of <br /> these support systems significant portions of the County's urban area <br /> remains underdeveloped. <br /> To capitalize on this pool of undeveloped urban land, the Land Use <br /> Element incorporates a second development strategy: "infill" <br /> 2 ' <br />