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Helping to build healthy, safe and livable communities.

To work in partnership with communities who face the challenges associated with

economic growth and revitalization.

MISSION STATEMENT

Through educational outreach and technical assistance, the Smart Growth

Partnership will promote the development and implementation of cooperative land-use strategies to improve the quality of growth.

H O W ?

Westmoreland County Selected Land Use StatisticsLand Preserved and Ag Security Area – 210,748 Acres (32%)

Land Developed – 77,066 Acres (12%)

Pre 1967 Developed Land – 52,104 Acres

Post 1967 Developed Land – 24,962 Acres

Vacant, or unprotected farms or forests, and very low density residential

-368,186 Acres

Acres per year developed since 1967 - 693.39Acres

a. Slightly more than 1/10 of 1% of the county is being developed per yearb. Land development growth rate of 1.2% per year

Total Acres Total Acres 656,000656,000

LegendPost 1967 Developed Land

Pre 1967 Developed LandPreserved Land

SMART GROWTH IS:

smart growth noun sensible growth: economic growth that consciously seeks to avoid wastefulness and damage to the environment and communities

Encarta® World English Dictionary [North American Edition] © & (P) 2001 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.

10 PRINCIPLES OF SMART GROWTH

• Mix land uses• Take advantage of compact building design• Create a range of housing opportunities and choices• Create walkable neighborhoods• Foster distinctive, attractive communities with a strong

sense of place• Preserve open space, farmland, natural beauty, and critical environmental

areas• Strengthen and direct development towards existing communities• Provide a variety of transportation choices• Make development decisions predictable, fair, and cost effective• Encourage community and stakeholder collaboration in development

decisions$MART GROWTH NETWORK, 1996

PRINCIPLES OF SMART GROWTH

1 Mixed land uses

MIXED LAND USES

PRINCIPLES OF SMART GROWTH

2 Take advantage of compact building design

COMPACT BUILDING DESIGN

Conventional Development

Smart Growth Development

PRINCIPLES OF SMART GROWTH

3 Create a range of housing opportunities and choices

HOUSING CHOICES

PRINCIPLES OF SMART GROWTH

4 Create walkable neighborhoods

SMART GROWTHQUIZ

• Work?

• School?

• Shop?

• Recreate?

• Worship?

Are you able to, or do you ever, walk to?Are you able to, or do you ever, walk to?

PRINCIPLES OF SMART GROWTH

5 Foster distinctive, attractive communities with a strong sense of place

COMMUNITIES OF DISTINCTION

PRINCIPLES OF SMART GROWTH

6 Preserve open space, farmland, natural beauty, and critical environmental areas

Conservation Plans/ Conservation Plans/ RegulationsRegulations

• Local Watershed and Conservation Local Watershed and Conservation PlansPlans

– Forest (Contiguous and Interior Forest (Contiguous and Interior Habitat)Habitat)

– Streams (Corridors)Streams (Corridors)– WetlandsWetlands– Habitats Habitats – Step Slopes Step Slopes – BuffersBuffers– Critical AreasCritical Areas– ParksParks– Scenic AreasScenic Areas– Trails Trails – ShorelinesShorelines– Difficult SoilsDifficult Soils– Ag LandsAg Lands– MineralsMinerals

LargeLarge andand SmallSmall ScaleScale

7 Strengthen and direct development towards existing communities

PRINCIPLES OF SMART GROWTH

FOCUS GROWTH

• Strengthen and direct development towards existing communities

PRINCIPLES OF SMART GROWTH

8 Provide a variety of transportation choices

TRANSPORTATION CHOICES

PRINCIPLES OF SMART GROWTH

9 Make development decisions predictable, fair and cost effective

Smart Growth Costs Less

COST EFFECTIVE

Roads

Utilities

Schools

25% less

15% less

5% less

Source: Economic and Fiscal Impacts of Alternative Land Use Patterns, by Robert Burchell, Rutgers University

PRINCIPLES OF SMART GROWTH

10 Encourage community and stakeholder collaboration in development decisions

PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT

“I know no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves.

And if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion.”

Thomas Jefferson - 18 September 1820

KEY CONCEPT

• A community based collaborative process is a way to reduce confrontation and improve proposed projects by involving the citizens up front in the development process. Utilizing their energy positively instead of negatively.

SMART GROWTHConventional Development Smart Growth Development

Yield PerspectiveSmart Growth Perspective

CONCEPTUAL DEMONSTRATION PLAN

Phase 1 (0-5 years)

Phase 2 (5-10 years)

Phase 3 (10-30 years)

RESOURCES

• Our Websites

http://www.smartgrowthpa.org

http://www.route30plan.com

THANK YOU!