Local & Regional Resources

Atlanta Regional Commission
Regional Development Plan: The Regional Development Plan contains 14 Development Policies for shaping the Atlanta Region along with detailed Best Practices under Land Use, Transportation, Environment, and Housing.

The Atlanta Regional Commission's latest regional plan, adopted in 1997 and updated in 1999, consists of two parts. The first part, the Technical Staff Report, contains an inventory, assessment and needs analysis of seven planning elements. These elements are population, economic development, natural and historic resources, public facilities and infrastructure, housing, human services and land use.

Liveable Centers Initiative: The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) Board adopted policies in the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) proposal in May 1999 to provide funding for investment studies and transportation projects located in activity and town centers in the region. This program of studies and projects has become known as the Livable Centers Initiative (LCI). The focus of the program is to encourage increased residential development, mixed-uses and connectivity in activity and town centers. The studies also define detailed plans that support the adopted policies of the Regional Development Plan (RDP) to encourage activity and town center development.

City of Austin Smart Growth Initiative
The three major goals of the Smart Growth Initiative are:

• Determine How and Where We Grow - The foundation of the Smart Growth Initiative is the identification of the Desired Development Zone (DDZ) and the Drinking Water Protection Zone (DWPZ) as shown on the Smart Growth Map. How we want to grow is defined by the emerging models of Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND), Transit-Oriented Development (TOD).
• Improve Our Quality of Life - Smart Growth programs focus on improving our quality of life by preserving and enhancing neighborhoods, protecting environmental quality, improving accessibility and mobility, and strengthening our economy.
• Enhance Our Tax Base - Smart Growth seeks to build and enhance our tax base through strategic investments, efficient use of public funds, and regional partnerships.

The site also has a Smart Growth Matrix Application Packet and Austin's Traditional Neighborhood District Manual.

Chicago Metopolis 2020
Chicago Metropolis 2020, a business-based organization working to improve the region, is creating the Metropolis Plan to illustrate how the actions of governments, businesses and residents can shape regional growth, how existing policies have long-term consequences, and how, together, we can make choices to create a more desirable future.

Project reports, including the Chicago Metropolis 2020 Report, are available at www.chicagometropolis2020.org/report.htm.

Envision Utah
Information on an extensive research and public involvement process resulting in a Quality Growth Strategy for the Greater Wasatch Area of Utah that encompasses 88 cities and towns and 10 counties.

In January 1997, Envision Utah was formed to help guide the development of a broadly and publicly supported Quality Growth Strategy - a vision to protect Utah's environment, economic strength, and quality of life. Envision Utah is a unique and dynamic partnership of citizens, business leaders and policy-makers, working together to create a strategy that will preserve critical lands, promote water conservation and clean air, improve our region-wide transportation systems, and provide housing options for all residents. Envision Utah is a process that provides our region with an opportunity to keep Utah beautiful, prosperous and neighborly for future generations.

Fairfax County, Virginia
Information on Commercial Revitalization Districts, Historic Preservation, and a recognition program for exceptional developments.

Irvine Ranch Water District
Detailed information on their Reclaimed Water program and the Michelson Water Reclamation Plant that produces water that is permitted for all uses but drinking.

Mid-America Regional Council
Creating Quality Places Initiative: Creating Quality Places: Successful Communities By Design is a program of the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) to encourage alternative design practices throughout the Kansas City area. The program offers a variety of resource information to facilitate implementation of these principles. Among the resources are case studies documenting local and national project examples, model ordinances, design standards and financing mechanisms. The site also includes the "Creating Quality Places: Successful Communities by Design" report (pdf). 

Mobility 2025 Update: The Metropolitan Transportation Plan (Dallas - Fort Worth MPA)
 Mobility 2025 Update is the defining vision for transportation systems and services in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. Serving as a guide for the expenditure of state and federal funds through the year 2025, the plan addresses regional transportation needs that are identified through forecasting current and future travel demand, developing and evaluating system alternatives, and selecting those options which best meet the mobility needs of the region.

Landuse/Transportation Interface (Dallas - Fort Worth)
Sustainable development leverages the land use/transportation relationship to improve mobility, enhance air quality, support economic growth, and insure the financial stability of the transportation system. By providing planning support for a diverse range of mobility options, such as rail, automobiles, bicycling, transit and walking, this plan helps local governments present a range of development opportunities to the private sector. The plan recognizes four categories of sustainable development: Strategic Urban Development, Integrated Land Use Planning/Urban Design, Transit-Oriented Development, and Access Management.

Portland Metro, Oregon
Metro is the directly elected regional government that serves more than 1.3 million residents in Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties, and the 24 cities in the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area. Metro, the nation's only elected regional government, is responsible for a broad range of services. According to a home-rule charter approved by voters in 1992, Metro has primary responsibility for regional land-use and transportation planning, and is further empowered to address any other issue of "metropolitan concern." This grant of authority underscores the Portland metropolitan region's commitment to maintain and enhance the livability of the region.

2040 Framework Plan: The Regional Framework Plan contains the policies that will direct our region's future growth. The result of years of work with citizens and governments of this region, the plan provides specific guidelines that city and county governments will use to create and preserve livable communities. The complete 188-page plan is available for download at www.metro-region.org/growth/tfplan/framplan.html.

Sustainable Environmental Excellence (SEE) for North Central Texas
The SEE initiative, by NCTCOG, includes regional plans for water resources and green space, as well as municipal solid waste management. 

Triangle J Council of Governments - Greater Triangle Regional Council
Regional Development Choices Project: The project to examine regional development choices is being undertaken by the Greater Triangle Regional Council (GTRC), a 38-member council of government, business, academic, and civic leaders whose mission is to set strategic directions for the region. Triangle J provides staff services to the GTRC under contract. The goal of the regional development choices project is to develop realistic scenarios for future development of the region, examine these scenarios and spur community dialogue about the scenarios, so that a more detailed regional plan--and the tools to implement it--can be developed from the preferred choice.

The Web site contains information on a project to develop alternative scenarios for the future development of the Research Triangle, NC region (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill). Three scenarios are presented for the region and a survey is available for residents to indicate preferences.