1. Planning for a Healthy Region
The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commissionis dedicated to uniting the region's elected officials, planning professionals, and the public
with a common visionof making a great region even greater. Shaping the way we live, work and play, DVRPC builds consensus on improving
transportation, promoting smart growth, protecting the environment and enhancing the economy. We servea diverse region of nine counties:
Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia in Pennsylvania; and Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Mercer in New Jersey. DVRPC
is the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization for the Greater Philadelphia Region - leading the way to a better future.
The heart of DVRPC’s missionis to plan for the healthy growth of the Philadelphia region. However, there cannot be healthy
growth without healthy people to enact it. This factsheet gives a brief overview of the planning principles by which DVRPC’s
work is guided, and how each supports a hale and hearty population.
Land Use and the
Environment
The first of DVRPC’s four planning principles laid out in our
long-range plan, Connections 2040, is Managing Growth
and Protecting the Environment. This includes preserving
open space and historic resources, improving water and air
quality, and increasing local food production and
distribution.
When these measures are neglected, there can be far-
reaching health effects. Sprawling development leads to an
increased reliance on driving and exacerbated congestion,
which in turn supports a sedentary lifestyle. A reduction in
open space cuts down on residents’ access to outdoor
recreation and provides further obstacles to an active
lifestyle, while a similarloss of agricultural land decreases
access to locally grown foods.
In addition to negative lifestyle impacts, air and water
quality is often affected by unsystematic land development.
Serious chronic health issues can stem from prolonged
exposure to contaminated air and water. This method of
development also leads to an increased need for
infrastructure and services, which dilutes funding streams
and can impact the adequate provision of health services.
DVRPC’s initiatives in managing growth and protecting the
environment include:
 A planning approach that emphasizes the
relationship between transportation
infrastructure and land use, known as smart
growth;
 Revitalization of already developed land through
the Strategies for Older Suburbs program;
 Food system planning, and facilitating the Food
System Stakeholder Committee;
 The provision of resources for historic
preservation efforts;
 Tracking open space preservation in the region;
and
 Energy and climate change planning, and more.
Multimodal
Transportation
The second of DVRPC’s planning principles is Establishing a
Modern, Multimodal Transportation System. The goal of this
principle is to preserve and maintain the existing
transportation system, while expanding operation, service
area, and capacity. This is accomplished through the use of
diverse funding streams, encouragement of alternative
transportation methods, and a focus on system reliability and
accessibility.
While the maintenance of highways, roads, and bridges is
integral to the planning process, DVRPC advocates for
multiple modes to sustain a complex yet efficient
transportation system. Mass transit relieves traffic
congestion, uses less energy, and encourages cooperative
transportation and human services systems. Bicycling and
walking also constitute important modes of transport, both in
connecting to other modes and promoting outdoor activity.
DVRPC’s initiatives in establishing a modern, multimodal
transportation system include:
 Planning for the sustainable growth of the aviation
and freight industries;
 Improving access to healthcare through the
Coordinated Human Services program;
 Studying and implementing bicycle and pedestrian
infrastructure, such as the regional trails network
known as The Circuit;
 Highway and bridge assessment and planning to
reduce congestion and improve safety; and
 Planning for the maintenance and growth of every
mode of public transit to reduce pollution and
encourage active lifestyles; and more.

2. Livable Communities
The third of DVRPC’s planning principles is Creating
Livable Communities. This means investing in core cities
and Centers, which include developed communities,
growing suburbs, and rural areas.
A healthy population can signify a thriving economy and a
flourishing environment because of how surroundings
have an effect on one’s long-term health. In a disinvested
community, the long-term health conditions could be
obesity, high blood pressure, and mental health. In transit-
dependent areas, demand is concentrated on health
services adjacent to transit lines, which often deal with a
chronically ill population with a lack of resources, while
the health services in auto-dependent areas usually have a
more evenly balanced demand and more resources.
DVRPC works to bridge the gaps between policy-making,
implementation, and potential human health outcomes
through:
 Promoting affordable and accessible housing
through the provision of community resources;
 Enhancing community design and celebrating
heritage through the Classic Towns program;
 Promoting green infrastructure for a well-
functioning town through environmental studies;
and
 Investing in Parks and Recreation to support an
active lifestyle; and more.
A Thriving Economy
A Thriving Economy
The fourth and final principle which guides DVRPC’s
planning process is Building the Economy. DVRPC serves as
a resource for key economic sectors of the region in
attracting residents and growing businesses in Greater
Philadelphia.
Changing demographics have a profound impact on
lifestyle preferences and travel trends, which in turn
impacts employment. Continued economic growth of the
region supports a cutting edge health industry right here
in Greater Philadelphia, as well as the clean energy,
biotechnology, and education attainment that support it.
DVRPC supports a thriving economy by:
 Tracking population and employment statistics,
including groups with limited access to services;
 Developing a framework to guide the economic
development of the region at large;
 Conducting corridor studies to assess hyper-local
economic corridors and how the transportation
network supports them;
 Hosting the Regional Community and Economic
Development Forum to bring together
stakeholders and the public to discuss timely
issues; and
 Curating a large number of resources for
municipalities and community development
corporations; and more.
Get Involved!
All of our work seeks to improve transportation, promote smart growth, protect the environment, and enhance the
economy so that we have a healthy and effective population. Investing in our region and supporting services is a big step
toward health, as a more vibrant economy with strong infrastructure will enable more individual needs to be identified
and met.
Another integral aspect of regional planning is public participation! In order to effectively shape the region's future,
Delaware Valley residents need to be informed and involved in the planning process, and public participation is an
integral part of that process.
There are a variety of opportunities for the public to participate in DVRPC plans and programs, and to obtain information.
We invite you to follow us on Twitter, join our mailing list, attend a public meeting, or visit our Resource Center.
Learn more about DVRPC and sign up for the newsletter at www.dvrpc.org | Follow DVRPC on Twitter @DVRPC
The Delaware ValleyRegional Planning Commission (DVRPC)fullycomplieswith Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Ci vil Rights Restoration Act
of 1987, Executive Order 12898 on Environmental Justice, and related nondiscrimination statutes and regulations in allprogramsand activities.
DVRPC’s website, www.dvrpc.org, may be translated into multiple languages. Publicationsand other publicdocumentscan be made available in
alternative languages and formats, if requested. DVRPC public meetingsare always held in ADA-accessible facilitiesand in transit-accessible locations
when possible. Auxiliaryservicescan be provided to individuals who submit a request at least seven days prior to a meeting. Requests made within
seven days will be accommodated to the greatest extent possible. Anyperson who believes theyhave been aggrieved byan unlawful discriminatory
practice byDVRPC under Title VI has a right to file a formal complaint. Anysuch complaint maybe in writing and filed with DVRPC’s Title VI
Compliance Manager and/or the appropriate state or federal agencywithin 180 days of the alleged discriminatoryoccurrence. For more information on
DVRPC’s Title VI program, or to obtain a Title VI Complaint Form, please call (215)238-2871 or email public_affairs@dvrpc.org.