Resources for Land Use
2010 State Land Use and Growth Management Report The Department of Community and Economic Development issued a report that shows how Pennsylvania will look, demographically, in the next 10 years, and how it has changed in the past five years.
American Planning Association
The American Planning Association (APA) is a national organization which promotes good planning practices at all levels of community – local, state and national. APA lobbies for national planning policies and monitors changes affecting planning.
American Planning Association — Pennsylvania Chapter
The Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization for professional planners and planning officials, as well as other organizations and individuals interested in planning.
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania – “Keystone Principles for Growth, Investment & Resource Protection” (background information or document)
The Keystone Principles & Criteria for Growth, Investment & Resource Conservation were adopted by the Economic Development Cabinet May 31, 2005. The Principles & Criteria are designed as a coordinated interagency approach to fostering sustainable economic development and conservation of resources through the state’s investments in Pennsylvania’s diverse communities. The Principles lay out general goals and objectives for economic development and resource conservation agreed upon among the agencies and programs that participated in their development.
Congress For New Urbanism
The Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) is the leading organization promoting walkable, neighborhood-based development as an alternative to sprawl. CNU takes a proactive, multi-disciplinary approach to restoring our communities.
Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission
Established in 1965, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) provides comprehensive, coordinated planning for the orderly growth and development of the bi-state region. As an interstate, intercounty, and intercity agency, DVRPC advises on regional policy and capital funding issues concerning transportation, economic development, the environment, and land use.
- DVRPC provides an extensive list of both free publications (pdf downloads) and for-sale publications.
- The DVRPC website currently provides a section pertaining to smart growth initiatives. Publications listed on this page include Innovations in Zoning for Smart Growth published by DVRPC in July 2007, and available as a pdf download.
Delaware Valley Smart Growth Alliance
The Delaware Valley Smart Growth Alliance (DVSGA) is a new initiative of various government, private sector and non-profit organizations in the Greater Philadelphia tri-state region encompassing Southeastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey, and Delaware. The DVSGA promotes smart growth projects by recognizing proposed projects prior to development approval. By highlighting the potential of smart growth projects to add value to the region, the DVSGA hopes to encourage developers, business organizations, citizen groups and elected officials to strive for smart growth solutions.
Economy League of Greater Philadelphia
The Economy League of Greater Philadelphia is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to research and analysis of the region's resources and challenges with the goal of promoting sound public policy and increasing the region's prosperity.
Environmental Protection Agency – Smart Growth Resources
Protecting Water Resources with Smart Growth is intended for audiences such as communities, local governments, state and regional planners already familiar with smart growth and are now seeking more ideas on how to protect their water resources. The document is a compilation of 75 policies designed to protect water resources and implement smart growth.
Funders’ Network For Smart Growth and Livable Communities
The Funders’ Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities is a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization that exists to inspire, strengthen and expand philanthropic leadership and funders’ abilities to support organizations working to improve communities through better development decisions and growth policies.
National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education
The National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education is a non-partisan center for research and leadership training on Smart Growth and related land use issues nationally and internationally. Located at the University of Maryland in College Park, Md., just eight miles from Washington, D.C., the National Center for Smart Growth was founded in 2000 as a cooperative venture of four University of Maryland schools: Architecture, Planning and Preservation, Public Policy, Agriculture and Natural Resources, and Engineering.
Pennsylvania Advocates for Nutrition and Activity
PANA is a coalition of multi-sector, public and private partners working to improve policies and environments in schools, communities, and healthcare settings that support healthy eating and active living in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development – Publications
PA DCED maintains a library of publications on local government issues and Municipal Statistics and Local Tax Information, which are available as free downloads. Available online documents include the PA Municipalities Planning Code (PA MPC).
Pennsylvania Downtown Center
The Mission of Pennsylvania Downtown Center is to advance the sense of place, quality of life and economic vitality of Pennsylvania’s downtowns, traditional neighborhood business districts and nearby residential areas.
Pennsylvania Economy League
The Pennsylvania Economy League, Inc. (PEL) is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit, public policy research and development organization. Our mission is to provide critical information, perspective and support to the business, civic, and governmental leadership of our communities and our state in their efforts to make Pennsylvania a better place to live, work and do business.
Planetizen, The Planning and Development Network
Planetizen is a public-interest information exchange provided by Urban Insight for the urban planning, design, and development community. It is a one-stop source for urban planning news, commentary, interviews, event coverage, book reviews, announcements, jobs, consultant listings, training, and more.
Sierra Club
The Challenge to Sprawl Campaign works to fight poorly planned runaway development and promotes smart growth communities that increase transportation choices, reduce air and water pollution, and protect our natural places.
Smart Growth America
Smart Growth America is a coalition of national, state and local organizations working to improve the ways we plan and build the towns, cities and metro areas we call home. The coalition includes many of the best-known national organizations advocating on behalf of historic preservation, the environment, farmland and open space preservation, neighborhood revitalization and more.
Smart Growth Network
A diverse network of private sector, public sector, and nonprofit partners seeking to encourage better development decisions.
Smart Growth Planning
Smart Growth is an integrated, environmentally-sensitive approach to land use and transportation planning. Smart Growth transportation strategies include: transit enhancements and transit-oriented development (TOD); visionary community and regional policies and land use plans that reduce the need to travel and minimize impacts; and streets that provide context-sensitive, multi-modal mobility for traffic, transit, pedestrians, and bicyclists.
Temple University Ambler – Center for Sustainable Communities
The Center was established in July 2000 to develop and promote new approaches to protect and preserve quality of life through sustainable development, improving public health, and balancing the relationship between environmental integrity, economic prosperity, and social equity. A working resource for government agencies, community organizations, and developers, the Center provides objective information and services to improve decision-making relative to land use and water resources planning in addition to conducting interdisciplinary research and offering educational and community outreach programs.
10,000 Friends of PA
10,000 Friends is committed to achieving the following objectives: Revitalize existing communities and business districts; Strengthen local, regional, and Commonwealth land use planning and consistency of implementation through legislation, education, and incentives; Encourage future development near existing infrastructure; Reduce traffic congestion and air and water pollution; Provide housing for people of all ages and incomes in our communities; Protect historic, natural, agricultural, and recreation areas; and Reduce land and resource consumption.
Urban Land Institute (National site and Philadelphia Region site)
The Urban Land Institute (ULI) is a nonprofit research and education organization representing the entire spectrum of land use and real estate development disciplines, working in private enterprise and public service. ULI facilitates the open exchange of ideas, information and experience among local, national and international industry leaders and policy makers dedicated to creating better places.
