Project Awards
  1. APA County Planning Division
  2. Project Awards

2019 Winner

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, LARGE JURISDICTION

Landscapes3

Chester County, Pennsylvania

On April 15, 2019, at the County Planning Division's Annual Business Meeting, conducted at the APA National Conference in San Francisco, the County Planning Division in conjunction with the National Association of County Planners will present their 2019 Project Awards. This year one Award of Excellence will be presented.

An Award of Excellence to Chester County, Pennsylvania, in the Comprehensive Plan — Large Jurisdiction category for the Landscapes3. Landscapes3, Chester County's newly adopted comprehensive plan, seeks to balance preservation and growth across the county's landscapes in six goal areas: Preserve, Protect, Appreciate, Live, Prosper, and Connect. Landscapes3 recommits the county to core planning principles of resource preservation, revitalized urban and suburban centers, housing diversity, transportation choices, collaboration, and resiliency. The plan establishes a vision for the county and its municipalities and provides a framework for collaboration across municipal boundaries. The Chester County Planning Commission began the update of its 2009 comprehensive plan, Landscapes2, in late 2016 with the goal of having a new comprehensive plan completed and adopted within the 10-year timeframe required by the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code.

Landscapes3 represents a renewal of the county's longtime commitment to balancing growth and preservation while addressing current planning issues that were of minimal concern a decade ago. The plan update built on the solid foundation of the previous two "Landscapes" plans, while bringing something new and innovative to the planning process. A top priority in the update process was to engage with as many stakeholders, residents, businesses, and local municipalities as possible to create a plan that truly had county-wide support. New methods for engaging the public were used which resulted in receiving input from literally thousands of residents and other stakeholders. Another goal of the update was to create a graphically interesting and highly implementable plan. The recommendations and implementation guidance are specific and provide a clear roadmap for implementation over the next ten years.