Regional Perspectives

illustration by Marc Hughes for the PlannersWeb

Local land use decisions can have impact outside a jurisdiction’s own boundaries. County and regional planning commissions are also vital in seeing that cities, towns, and villages work together to solve shared planning problems.

Editor's Notes & Interviews

Taking a Hit … and Bouncing Back

PlannersWeb Editor Wayne Senville, reporting from Brunswick, Maine (Oct. 4, 2012)

In 2005, the Brunswick (Maine) Naval Air Station was designated for closure — one of more than 350 military installations ordered closed between 1989 and 2005. A look at progress on redevelopment plans for this sprawling, 3300 acre facility.

Editor's Notes & Interviews

SLW-ability Yields Stronger Local Economies

During the AMPO (Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations) conference the past two days, the three words I think I heard most often were Sustainability; Livability; and Walkability. What’s more all three of these were often tied in to another phrase: economic competitiveness.

PCJ Articles

Understanding Regional Retail Development

by Beth Humstone

Retail development has major impacts on communities and regions. Planners can stay ahead of the curve by understanding the regional retail market and helping shape where retail will best fit.

PCJ Articles

Think Regionally, Act Locally

by Jim Segedy, FAICP, and Lisa Hollingsworth-Segedy, AICP

Your job as a planning commissioner is to address your community’s future, but the decisions you make can have wider impacts.

PCJ Articles

Considering the Regional Impacts of Local Actions

by Greg Dale, FAICP

Do we have an ethical responsibility to take into account the regional impacts of local land use decisions?

Editor's Notes & Interviews

Leadership for Diversity

Two leaders in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, speak of how diversity can lead to a healthier regional economy.

Editor's Notes & Interviews

Who’s Planning?

During my visits in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre I heard about a number of challenging land use and development issues. But one group that seemed to be missing from the picture was planners.

PCJ Articles

J is for Justice

by Laurence C. Gerckens, FAICP

The Supreme Court decision of the 20th century that had the greatest impact on planned community development was the 1926 Euclid v. Ambler ruling. It opened the door for communities across the country to engage in zoning and use it as the primary tool for plan implementation.

PCJ Articles

R is for Regional Planning

by Laurence C. Gerckens, FAICP

Planning historian Laurence C. Gerckens, FAICP, takes a look at the history of regional planning in America — from Governor James Oglethorpe’s 1733 plan for Savannah, Georgia to the issues of Circular A-95 in 1969.

PCJ Articles

S is for Sustainable Development

by Laurence C. Gerckens, FAICP

The benefits of sustainability have re-echoed during our nation’s history. Oftentimes, however, sustainability has been overshadowed by countervailing forces, including large-scale manufacturing and mass production of goods, and a heavy dependence on non-renewable resources.

PCJ Articles

Corridors Through Our Communities


by Hannah Twaddell

From the old riverboat world of the Mississippi to the crowded arterials of today’s cities and towns, transportation corridors have played a critical role in American life. Hannah Twaddell explains why planning for our corridors makes sense.

PCJ Articles

Back to School for Planners

by Tim Torma

Decisions about school construction and renovation have profound implications for towns, cities, and counties nationwide. A look at trends & opportunities, impacts schools have, and the positive role planners and planning commissioners can play.

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