References & Resources
Website Planning / Tools

Improving how growth is accommodated starts with planning. Many organizations from the Sierra Club to the National Governor's Association recognize the need to enhance the ways in which we plan for, guide, and promote development to reduce impacts on the environment and costs to local government and citizens while preserving and improving local quality of life. The list below provides some initial guidance into the issues of planning and development as well as opportunities for improving both.

• The American Planning Association has been providing planning information and services for over 50 years.
  http://www.planning.org/
• The Congress for New Urbanism continues to provide much of the energy behind the renewed interest in wrestling with how communities are designed and developed.
  http://www.cnu.org/
• The Planning Commissioners' Journal offers a wealth of information about planning issues.
  http://www.plannersweb.com/
• EPA's green communities page includes plan development, tools, and links to other tools
  http://www.epa.gov/greenkit/

Residents of the three main Bay states can find more local information at the following sites:

Virginia: The Virginia Association of Planning District Commissions is perhaps the quickest source of general information about managing growth and development within various areas of Virginia. Visit http://www.institute.virginia.edu/vapdc/, or call: (804) 982-5538

Maryland: Maryland's State Department of Planning provides solid background information by county and contact information to the various county planning offices throughout the state. Visit http://www.mdp.state.md.us/, or call: (410) 767-4500

Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania Center for Local Government Services (part of the Department of Community and Economic Development) provides background information about land use planning, and subdivision and zoning ordinances. Visit http://www.state.pa.us/PA_Exec/DCED/government/land-use.htm, or call (888) 223-6827.

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