The Sustainable Comprehensive Plan
APA National Conference
Minneapolis, MN
April 26, 2009
WRT Wallace Roberts & Todd, LLC

Agenda
1. Introduction and Emerging Trends
2. Sustainability in the Comprehensive Planning Process
3. Case Study: Union County Comprehensive Plan
• Union County Background
• Community Outreach
• Cultivating Community: A Sustainable Comprehensive Plan for Union County
4. Questions and Discussion
David Rouse, AICP, Principal, Wallace Roberts & Todd
Shawn McLaughlin, AICP, Planning Director, Union County, PA
Robert Kerns, AICP, Associate, Wallace Roberts & Todd

Introduction and Emerging Trends

The 21st Century Comprehensive Plan
Values-Driven
•
Collaborative
•
Thematic Based
•
Linking Process and Outcome
•
Regional in Focus
•
Beyond Paper
•
Source: The 21st Century Comprehensive Plan, presentation and paper prepared
by David Rouse, Michael Chandler, and Jon Arason for the 1999 National APA
Conference in Seattle, WA

Sustainability Issues
• Critical Environmental Stresses (Lester Brown)1
– Deteriorating oil and food security
– Climate change: rising temperatures and sea levels
– Emerging water shortages
– Natural systems under stress
– Growing divides between rich and poor
• Two Great Oversights of Our Time (Rob Hopkins)2
– Peak oil
– Climate change
1 Plan B 3.0, 2008
The Transition Handbook, 2008
2

What is Sustainability?
• Definitions
…Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their own needs (Brundtland Commission,
1987)
…Development that improves the long-term health of human and ecological
systems (Stephen M. Wheeler, Planning for Sustainability, 2004)
• The Three “Es”
– Environment
– Economy
– Equity

Sustainable Comprehensive Plans
• The Leaders
– Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan: Towards a Sustainable Future
– Portland, OR: Portland Plan
– Plan NYC: A Greener, Greater New York
– Greenburg, KS: Sustainable Comprehensive Master P:lan
• Other Examples
– Minneapolis, MN: Plan for Sustainable Growth
– Salem, OH: Sustainable Comprehensive Plan
– Washtenaw County, MI: A Sense of Place, A Sustainable Future
• Cities with Extensive Sustainability Initiatives
– San Francisco
– Chicago

Emerging Trends
• State Legislation
– California: Climate change legislation
– Massachusetts Green Community Act (Comprehensive Energy Reform)
• Natural Step Framework
– Eco-Municipalities (Sweden)
– Santa Monica, CA Sustainable City Program
– Grassroots initiatives (e.g., Lewisburg, PA)
• Transition Initiatives
– 64 adopted Transition Initiatives as of 6/08
– 54 in UK, 4 in New Zealand, 2 in US, 1 in Ireland
– US communities: Boulder, CO and Sandpoint, ID

Sustainability in the Comprehensive
Planning Process

Typical Comprehensive Planning Process
• Outreach / Input
• Analysis
• Synthesis/Choice
• Plan Development
• Implementation

Sustainability in the Planning Process
• Outreach / Input: “Values-driven” planning meets the “environmental imperative”
• Analysis: Sustainability scan
• Plan Development: Sustainability “building blocks” (organizing the plan)
• Implementation: Sustainability indicators and tools

Sustainability Principles
• Energy
Reduce fossil fuel usage and carbon emissions through the planning and design of
communities, sites, and buildings
• Resiliency
Reduce vulnerability to external environmental and economic threats through planning,
design, and increased reliance on local resources, goods, and services
• Mobility
Locate and design transportation systems to reduce reliance on the automobile and
promote alternative modes
• Stewardship
Preserve and restore natural, cultural, and built resources. Integrate natural and human
ecological systems in the planning and design of communities
• Equity
Provide housing, transportation, and employment opportunities for persons of all
socioeconomic backgrounds and abilities

Outreach / Input
Vision: Define in relation to environmental
challenges and sustainability principles
Education: Frame sustainability issues to
resonate with community
Economic Challenges
•
– Impacts of volatile energy costs
– Fiscal impacts of inefficient development patterns
Environmental Challenges
•
– Impacts on climate change and security
– Vulnerability to natural and human disasters
Social Challenges
•
– Lack of affordable workforce housing
– Effects on community health (obesity)

Analysis
• Sustainability Scan: How sustainable is
your community?
• Level 1 (Qualitative)
– Review existing plans, policies, and regulations
– Evaluate land use patterns / infrastructure systems
• Level 2 (Quantitative): Impact modeling
(e.g., INDEX by Criterion Planners)
– Carbon footprint /greenhouse gas emissions
– Energy consumption
– Stormwater runoff
– Traffic impact modeling
– Fiscal impact modeling
– Land consumption/development patterns

Plan Development: Building Blocks
Land Use
• Model 1: Conventional Plan Elements •
Transportation
•
• Establish overarching sustainability
framework Housing
•
• Define sustainability principles and Natural & Historic Resources
•
themes with the community
Agricultural Resources
•
• “Activate” framework, principles, and Recreation and Open Space
•
themes through strategies and
actions in different elements Community Facilities
•
Economic Development
•
Potential New Elements:
Energy Conservation
•
Community Form
•
Hazard Mitigation
•

Plan Development: Building Blocks
• Model 2: Systems Approach Energy (utility infrastructure, energy sources/
•
production, conservation)
• Organize elements into “systems”
Food (local networks, production,
•
• Define sustainability principles and distributions, health, access)
themes with the community
Mobility (complete streets, connectivity)
•
• Emphasize interconnectedness
between elements Green Infrastructure (greenways,
•
sensitive environmental resources, urban
“greening”, etc.)
Housing (community character & form,
•
types, affordability, need vs. supply)
Economic (employment, diversity,
•
accessibility, local “asset-based” community
development)
Social (education, recreation, cultural and
•
historic resources, safety and security,
community health)

Implementation
Action Plan
•
– Types of actions (policy, regulatory, capital
investment)
– Schedule / timeframes
– Responsible parties
Capacity-Building / Partnerships
•
– Municipal government
– Other levels of government
– Non-profit organizations / institutions
– Private sector businesses
– Citizens
Plan Monitoring
•
– Measures of progress (sustainability indicators)

Union County Background

Union County Background
• Located along the
Susquehanna River 60
miles N of Harrisburg,165
New York, NY
miles NW of Philadelphia, Union County
and 200 miles E of
Pittsburgh
• Comprehensive plan for 13 Harrisburg, PA
municipalities
Philadelphia, PA
• 3 multi-municipal plans
Washington DC

Union County Background
• Attractive rural quality of life with strong agricultural
heritage and small towns / villages
• Forests and agriculture represents 60% and 30% of
total land use, respectively
• Access to major urban areas via I-80 and other
routes
• Historic downtown districts in Lewisburg and
Mifflinburg
• Bucknell University is located in Lewisburg

Existing Land Use

Union County Background
• 80% of County zoned for Agricultural or Woodlands
/ limited low-density housing is permitted in most of
these districts
• Residential housing growth: 14% from 1990-2000
and 8% from 2000-2006
• 40% housing growth projected by 2030 / highest
growth expected in agricultural townships

New Structures 2001-2006 (+1,000 units)
& Land Preservation

Union County Population, 1820-2050
70,000
60,000
2000
50,000
Population
40,000
30,000
20,000
10,000
0
Year

Total Land Area
Needed for 2006-2050
@ 1 DU/Net Acre*
* 1) An additional 20% in land area is included in
acreage calculation to accommodate utilities and ROW;
2) Gregg Township is included in the total projection,
but is excluded from the Planning Area totals.
+ 8,826 Housing
Units
= 10,590
Net Acres in
Union County*
640
Acres
4 miles
1 2

Community Outreach

Outreach & Involvement Techniques
Website
•
Advisory Teams
•
Branding, Advertising & Marketing
•
Citizen Survey
•
Public Forums
•
Meeting In a Box
•
Stakeholder Interviews
•
Municipal Officials Meetings
•
School Programs
•

www.cultivatingcommunity.net

Advisory Teams
• Countywide Plan Advisory Team
• 28 volunteers – Represented diverse County stakeholders
• Met every other month on average
• 3 Multi-Municipal Advisory Teams
• Elected Officials & Planning Commissioners
• Met as needed

Citizen Survey Results

Outreach & Involvement Themes
Energy Conservation & Sustainability
•
Preservation of Agriculture & Natural Resources
•
Growth Management
•
Create Trails & Pedestrian-Friendly Development
•
Expand Public Transportation
•
Vitality of Town Centers
•
Regional Cooperation
•
Concern About Quality of New Growth
•
Economic Opportunity for Current Residents
•
Strategic Infrastructure Investment
•

Cultivating Community: A Sustainable
Comprehensive Plan for Union County

Vision Statement
Union County will be a prosperous
and beautiful valley in 2030 by:
Protecting precious natural resources & agriculture
•
Supporting sustainable economic growth
•
Promoting its unique town & country lifestyle
•
Three concurrent regional visions will contribute their special strengths to achieving these goals:
The western region will be a The central region will be The eastern region will be a
home for rural enterprise and the heart of Union center of county government,
connecting with nature. County’s agricultural and medical service, and higher
small town heritage. education in a town and
country setting.

Future Growth Management Framework
Continue Small Town
Citizen Direction &
Patterns
Sustainability

Recommended Growth Management Framework

What the Future Could Look Like

Union County’s Cultivating Community Comprehensive Plan:
A Hybrid Approach
• Topical Plan Elements
• Natural and Agricultural Resources
• Land Use
• Housing
• Economic Development
• Cultural, Historic, and Recreational Resources
• Community Facilities, Utilities, and Energy Conservation
• Implementation
• Integrating Factors
• Sustainability Principles
• Sustainability Keys
• Sustainability Indicators

Sustainability Principles
1. Focus new development in and around established communities
• Promote reinvestment in existing towns and villages
• Develop in close proximity to existing infrastructure
2. Preserve rural resources
• Maintain agriculture and prime farmland soils
• Preserve sensitive natural features and scenic views
3. Conserve energy
• Decrease fossil fuel consumption
• Reduce automobile use / promote transportation alternatives
4. Conserve fiscal resources
• Limit the negative impacts of new development on municipal budgets
• Limit the negative impacts of new development on community services

Sustainability Keys
1. Natural and Agricultural Resources - System Integrity
2. Land Use - Mixed Use
3. Housing - Diversity
4. Economic Development - Building Local Assets
5. Transportation – Multi-Modal Choices
6. Cultural, Historic, and Recreational Resources - Adaptive Reuse
7. Community Facilities, Utilities, and Energy Conservation - Energy
Conservation

Sustainability Key – Natural and Agricultural Resources
System Integrity
Maintain integrity of woodlands, greenways, waterways, wetlands,
•
habitats, open space, soils, and agricultural lands
Sample Sustainability Indicators
Water Quality
•
Animal and plant indicator species
•
Agricultural / forest lands preserved (e.g., easements, TDR)
•

Sample Actions
Natural and Agricultural Resources
Create a countywide Green Infrastructure
•
Plan
Educate farmers about alternative
•
livestock production systems with lesser
impacts on land and water quality (e.g.
organic, free-range, non-confinement,
grass-fed meat and poultry)

Sustainability Key – Land Use
Mixed Use
Strengthen the County’s traditional land use pattern of compact, mixed-
•
use development focused on small towns and villages
Sample Sustainability Indicators
New development inside vs. outside growth areas
•
Vertical vs. horizontal mixed-uses
•
Carbon footprint / greenhouse gas emissions
•
Cultivating Community

Sample Actions
Land Use
Prepare regulations to promote walkable,
•
mixed-use communities (e.g., TND, form-
based zoning, incentives, etc.)
Develop conservation subdivision / tree
•
preservation standards for use in rural
areas
Cultivating Community

Sustainability Key – Housing
Housing Diversity
Provide choices in housing types and prices to meet different segments
•
of the County’s population
Sample Sustainability Indicators
Mix of housing types vs. housing demand based on demographics
•
Affordability
•
Access to services (e.g., community facilities, parks and recreation, retail)
•

Sample Actions
Housing
Provide different housing types in
•
designated growth areas for a changing
and aging population
Implement a “green building” program
•
through new code requirements /
incentives, education, grants / loans, and
partnerships (electric companies)

Sustainability Key – Economic Development
Building Local Assets
Build economic activities that:
•
• Draw on County’s intrinsic values – high quality of life, fertile
agricultural soils, quality educational and medical institutions
• Reduce dependence on outside resources (e.g., use locally produced
goods and services rather than imported goods)
Sample Sustainability Indicators
Locally-owned businesses
•
Employment opportunities / living wages
•

Sample Actions
Economic Development
Focus programs on businesses that “fit”
•
with growing industry clusters
• Healthcare
• Education
• Lumber and wood products
• Diversified manufacturing
• Hospitality/tourism
Expand partnerships with area
•
educational / healthcare institutions
Cultivating Community

Sustainability Key – Transportation
Transportation Choices
Provide convenient choices for people to use different forms of travel
•
(autos, bicycles, transit, and walking) to meet their mobility needs.
Sample Sustainability Indicators
Reduction in vehicle miles traveled (VMT)
•
Length of sidewalks / bike lanes / multi-use trails
•
Connectivity index
•
Cultivating Community

Sample Actions
Transportation
Designate a network of on-road routes
•
with adequate paved shoulders for non-
motorized travel (horse and buggy,
bicycles)
Provide for pedestrian / bicycle facilities in
•
land development / roadway
improvements (e.g., traffic impact study
ordinances, roadway design guidelines)
Cultivating Community

Sustainability Keys – Cultural, Historic, and Recreational
Resources
Adaptive Reuse
Refers to modification or rehab of existing structures to serve new uses
•
(e.g., “recycling: former schools for retail, office, or residential uses)
Sample Sustainability Indicators
Historic resources recognized / preserved
•
Recycled buildings
•
Heritage tourism activity
•

Sample Actions
Cultural, Historic, and Recreational Resources
Implement a countywide preservation
•
program to encourage rehab or adaptive
reuse of historic resources and other older
buildings
Designate Union County as part of the
•
Middle Susquehanna State Heritage Area

Sustainability Keys – Community Facilities, Utilities, and
Energy Conservation
Energy Conservation
Energy is required for all life’s activities; minimizing energy usage both
•
conserves resources and yields economic returns by lowering costs.
Sample Sustainability Indicators
Compactness of infrastructure systems
•
Renewable energy installations
•
Green buildings
•
Reduction in VMT
•

Sample Actions
Community Facilities, Utilities, and Energy Conservation
Support opportunities for energy
•
production on farms (e.g., methane from
dairies, regional manure digester)
Upgrade high school facilities as model
•
“green” facilities
• Sustainable building systems
• Site / stormwater management
practices
• Multi-modal transportation access

Union County’s Cultivating Community
Comprehensive Plan: Implementation
• Geographic Scale
• Countywide Action Plan
• Multi-Municipal Action Plans
• Actions
• Types (regulatory, policy / planning, capital investment, partnerships)
• Timeframes
• Responsibilities
• Funding sources
• Monitoring
• Annual Assessments / Work Programs
• Measures of Progress (sustainability indicators)

Key Issue: Capacity-Building
• Union County and its municipalities have a small population and limited
resources
• Three municipalities do not have zoning ordinances
• Partnerships among the public, private, and nonprofit / institutional
sectors will be key to success
• Public / public (e..g., PA State Agencies / Union County / municipalities)
• Public / private (e.g., Lewisburg Area Recreation Park – LARA / Playworld;
Pennsylvania House redevelopment)
• Public / institutional (e.g., Union County / Bucknell University)

The Sustainable Comprehensive Plan
APA National Conference
Minneapolis, MN
April 26, 2009
Contact Information
David Rouse, AICP, Principal, Wallace Roberts & Todd
drouse@ph.wrtdesign.com
Shawn McLaughlin, AICP, Planning Director, Union County
smclaughlin@unionco.org
Robert Kerns, AICP, Associate, Wallace Roberts & Todd
rkerns@ph.wrtdesign.com
www.cultivatingcommunity.net
WRT Wallace Roberts & Todd, LLC