The Chester County Planning Commission recently released a spring calendar of events that will include virtual programs that are free and open to the community via Zoom.
A Spring Planners' Forum will be held on Tuesday, March 30, from 9 to 10 a.m. The topic will be "What will be the long-term impacts of the pandemic?" The program will begin with a networking session from 8 to 8:30 a.m., when people joining the meeting will be put into breakout rooms to meet other planners.
Presentations will begin at 8:30 a.m. and will include perspectives on the topic by the following three speakers: Becky Bradley, American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), executive director of the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission; Robert Henry, Transportation Demand Management Certified Professional (TDM-CP), executive director of Greater Valley Forge Transportation; and Dorothy Ives Dewey, Ph.D., AICP, Professional Planner (PP), planning program administrator at West Chester University.
After the presentations conclude at 9:30 a.m., attendees will be invited to stay on the Zoom call to ask additional questions and connect with other participants.
The program is targeted to those who serve on local planning commissions. "Planners could be either professional or volunteer," explained Brian O'Leary, AICP, executive director of the Chester County Planning Commission. "Professional planners include the staff at the county planning commission, planners who work for municipalities and planners who work as consultants, usually with planning firms, engineering firms or landscape architecture firms. Volunteer planners include citizens who serve on municipal planning commission boards or similar boards, such as an environmental action committee or a historic preservation board."
The series of programs offered by the planning commission began with a review of the county's Climate Action Plan on March 4. To view a recording of the meeting, visit http://www.news.chescoplanning.org/draft-climate-action-plan-2021.
Upcoming programs will include an Open Space Summit on Thursday, April 29, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The virtual event will include a review of open space accomplishments in 2020 and an overview of a county-wide inventory of open space protection tools.
The final program will be a Town Tours Kickoff and a Juneteenth commemoration on Thursday, June 17, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. The event will include a virtual program on the Underground Railroad, followed by a walking tour in West Chester.
The work of the Chester County Planning Commission includes the implementation of Landscapes3, Chester County's updated comprehensive policy plan. The goals of the plan include preserving open spaces, protecting natural resources and promoting economic growth.
"The events (on April 29 and June 17) are focused on the Landscapes3 goals of Preserve, Protect, Appreciate, Live, Work and Connect," O'Leary added.
To learn more and to register for the virtual programs, visit http://www.chescoplanning.org. Individuals may contact the planning commission at ccplanning@chesco.org or 610-344-6285.
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