RESUMO
The paper explores the sort of information needed to evaluate and back up land use management measures. It examines the effect of such measures on building patterns in 10 communities in Oregon and Washington. Not an exhaustive or scientific study, it experiments with one possible approach to a more scientific undertaking. While focusing on floodplain management, this practice study is intended to have broader implications for management and information needs relevant to other types of sensitive lands. The study uses two methods for examining regulatory impacts on development: (1) interviews with planners in 10 NFIP communities in Oregon and Washington, and (2) test comparisons of two planners interview responses with actual development patterns around floodplains in their jurisdictions (Snohomish County, Washington, and Jackson County, Oregon). The study outlines information needs and suitable criteria for distinguishing regulatory impacts