Landscapes2 Related References

The Bounty of Chester County Celebrate Chester County's Agricultural Heritage — The Official Chester County cookbook celebrates over 300 years of farming and agriculture with delicious recipes preserved from past generations.

Experts Initiate Review of Riparian Forest Buffers (RFB) Planting Specifications — The final results from the long term study on Riparian Forest Buffers conducted by the Stroud Water Resource Center and funded thru the EPA's Nonpoint Source Program will show that a 5-7 year establishment period is necessary to achieve significant water quality benefits.

Safe Routes to School (SRTS) — is a movement that aims to have parent and community groups, school and local officials, law enforcement officers and traffic engineers all working toward the same objective of making biking and walking to school a safe and realistic option. All states receive at least $1 million per year, and each state is required to have a SRTS coordinator.

Chester County has faced the challenges of rapid growth as much, if not more so, than any other county in the Delaware Valley. According to the US Census, Chester County is one of the fastest growing counties in the country. Fortunately, Chester County has also been at the forefront of the conservation movement. With significant support from the County's ground-breaking open space program, Natural Lands Trust has preserved thousands of acres here.

National Fair Housing Advocate Online is a web site devoted to providing fair housing information and resources to consumers, fair housing advocates and housing industry professionals nationwide. The National Fair Housing Advocate Online was the first major online fair housing education and outreach tool of its kind.

A fungus humongous: Pennsylvania is No. 1 in growing mushrooms — With so many fields this time of year full of corn stalks, corn might seem to be Pennsylvania's signature crop. Yet mushrooms actually are a bigger business. The state this year accounted for 63 percent of the 793 million pounds of white and brown mushrooms grown annually in the United States, according to federal statistics; contributing more than $453 million to the economy.

Planning Related News and References

The Reason Foundation's 17th annual report on the Performance of State Highway Systems ranked Pennsylvania 36th based on overall system performance and cost-effectiveness. The report evaluated thirteen primary performance measures for all 50 states.

Active Living by Design is a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and is a part of the North Carolina Institute for Public Health at the UNC School of Public Health in Chapel Hill, NC.

45,000 sq ft Green Roof Planned for PECO — The planting of the green roof is an element of the utility's 5 year, $15.3 M initiative to become more environmentally friendly. When completed, the green roof will be the largest on an existing building in urban Pennsylvania. It will be the first green roof on a company property.

Green Roof video

West Chester officials consider proposal for large-scale town center — A proposal to build a large-scale, town-center development on the Wyeth tract was put to a critical vote at a planning commission. The commission has been considering a proposed ordinance for a mixed-use development overlay district on the Wyeth tract at East Nields and South Bolmar streets.

Blueprint for American Prosperity is a multi-year initiative to promote an economic agenda for the nation that builds on the assets of American’s metropolitan areas. The Blueprint offers an integrated policy agenda and specific reforms designed to give metropolitan areas the tools they need to generate economically productive growth, to build a strong and diverse middle class, and to grow in environmentally sustainable ways.

Upcoming Events & Training

Brandywine Valley Association is holding its 63rd Annual Meeting on Thursday, October 23, 2008. The meeting will be held at the Mendenhall Inn and is open to the public. The keynote address, "Raising the Carrying Capacity of Your Property" will be presented by Dr. Doug Tallamy, professor and Chairman of the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Education at the University of Delaware. For information on registering for the event, visit brandywinewatershed.org or 610-793-1090.

What is Open Space?
Take a look at the ways Chester County has tackled this question in the distant and recent past and find out how you can have an impact on the county’s future. October 24, 2008–August 1, 2009 at The History Center Chester County Historical Society, 225 N. High Street West Chester, PA 19380.

Bring Workers Home — Please join national, state and local housing leaders, local and county government, and business professionals for the first national conference on Employer-Assisted Housing. Sponsored by the National Association of Realtors, this one-day conference will happen on October 6, 2008 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Chicago.

PennFuture Session Daze — For many months, PennFuture has urged prompt Senate action on House Bill 2200, the Energy Savings Bill. This week the Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee finally approved the bill, but in doing so, amended it to inflict heavy damage on its core energy conservation and smart meter provisions.

The National Preservation Conference is the premier preservation conference in the United States for professionals in preservation and allied fields, dedicated volunteers, and serious supporters. October 21-25 at the Tulsa Convention Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Guided Tour: Green Roof — Learn about the inner-workings, benefits, and beauty of green roofs while exploring the two at the Arboretum. Please note the level of difficulty on these tours is higher than others offered: a brisk walk is required between the two gardens and the second roof is reached only by a narrow, steep ladder. The tour will begin at the Scott Arboretum Offices and is free and open to the public Saturday, October 11, 2008 @ 11:00 am. For more information, please call the Scott Arboretum Offices at (610) 328-8025.

Green Valleys Association’s Annual Dinner — Celebrating 44 years of Environmental Stewardship Tuesday, October 7, 2008, 5:30-9:00 pm at The Desmond Great Valley Hotel, Malvern PA.

Chester County Solar Tour — Tour five sites in the southern part of the County; including a native plants nursery, veterinary center, a brand new green building featuring a green roof, a sustainable winery and two residences. October 4, 2008, 9:00 am - 2:00 pm. Cost is $10.00 per person, transportation provided, space is limited to those who pre-register. For more information regarding this event contact RSVP to 610-469-7543 or welkinweir@gmail.com.

2008 PA Chapter of the American Planning Association Annual Conference Cities of the past: America’s places of the future October 12-14, 2008 in Pittsburgh.

2008 Homes Within Reach Conference — November 18-19, 2008, in Harrisburg, PA. The Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania invites you to join over 500 of your friends and colleagues from across the state for two full days of innovative housing and homelessness programs and policy.

Transforming and Redefining Community Development — register now to attend the 2008 Enterprise Community Conference from November 19-21, 2008, at the Baltimore Marriot Waterfront Hotel. The conference promises an abundance of passion, insights, and inspiration from some of the nations most experienced leaders.

Infrastructure and the Planning Process - Getting it Right! Wednesday, October 29, 2008 in Montgomery County at the Greater Plymouth Community Center. Registration information can be found on PSATS.

· DVRPC's Calendar
· Conferences outside DVRPC

Links

White Clay Creek State of the Watershed Report

Pennsylvania's Traffic Calming Handbook

Streamlines - GVA's Newsletter

PA Local Government Training Partnership