Jon Geeting of Nazareth Patch says that something fishy is happening in the township of Lower Macungie as megaproject is approved on 600 acres of farmland.
Geeting says the approval of the "700 homes, 4 million square feet of warehouses, a 443,000-square-foot shopping center, and a convenience store with 16 gasoline pumps and a sit-down restaurant" just goes to prove that regional planning commissions like the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission (LVPC) are completely powerless:
"They have written a very good Comprehensive Plan, but it does not have the force of law, so local officials are free to ignore their recommendations."
"The LVPC's Southwestern Lehigh Regional Comprehensive Plan designates this land for agricultural use. LVPC recommended that the Lower Macungie commissioners reject Mr. Jaindl's proposal on these grounds, but they were ignored."
FULL STORY: What's the Opposite of Smart Growth?
A Transit-Oriented Regional Growth Plan
The Vision 2050 plan, which charts the growth for King, Pierce, Snohomish, and Kitsap counties in Washington State, would focus almost all the growth meant to accommodate 1.8 million new residents inside urban areas.
Regional Planning for Growth on Display in the Pacific Northwest
The Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) released a new "Regional Centers Framework."
Better Land Use Planning: One of the Best Ways to Improve Transportation
Smart growth advocates have been making this point for years, but a new report from the Washington, D.C. regional planning organization provides more evidence for the strategic location of population and job growth.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
Can We Please Give Communities the Design They Deserve?
Often an afterthought, graphic design impacts everything from how we navigate a city to how we feel about it. One designer argues: the people deserve better.
The EV “Charging Divide” Plaguing Rural America
With “the deck stacked” against rural areas, will the great electric American road trip ever be a reality?
Judge Halts Brooklyn Bike Lane Removal
Lawyers must prove the city was not acting “arbitrarily, capriciously, and illegally” in ordering the hasty removal.
Engineers Gave America's Roads an Almost Failing Grade — Why Aren't We Fixing Them?
With over a trillion dollars spent on roads that are still falling apart, advocates propose a new “fix it first” framework.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Borough of Carlisle
Smith Gee Studio
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)