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.
Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?
The Five Most-Changed American Cities
A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.
San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan
The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.
Housing, Supportive Service Providers Brace for Federal Cuts
Organizations that provide housing assistance are tightening their purse strings and making plans for maintaining operations if federal funding dries up.
Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement
An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.
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.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions