This past September 30, the Chester County Planning Commission hosted a public transportation meeting, titled “Bicycles, Pedestrians & Transit,” which was a follow up to the “Trails, Trains, and Traffic” meeting held last December.

During this year’s meeting, the Planning Commission presented the results of the county’s Active Transportation Inventory, as well as transportation updates and other important projects happening around the county. All three County Commissioners’ attended the meeting, as well as 72 others, which took place via Zoom on a Wednesday evening.

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Like most events in 2020, the Chester County Urban Centers Forum had to transition from what was previously a lively in-person event, to an online Zoom meeting. Nonetheless, thanks to this year’s dedicated staff, partners, presenters, and attendees – the 2020 Urban Centers Forum,  “Main Street Restoration and Recovery,” was a success!

New this year, the forum was broken up into two sessions, with the first highlighting “Main Street Recovery,” on Tuesday, October 13, and the second focusing on “Design” to enhance the character of our urban centers on Thursday, October 15. Both sessions featured an engaging group of panelists, as well as opportunities for discussion among attendees. There were a total of 121 participants, including the three County Commissioners.

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Whether it’s to live, work, play or explore – Chester County’s natural environment is often one of the main reasons why people choose to spend their time here.

The county’s natural streams, floodplains, steeps slopes, woodlands, wetlands, and riparian buffers serve as a foundation to the region’s vibrant communities, and they provide an abundance of natural resources and benefits for various industries across the county.

As one of the six main goals found in Landscapes3, Chester County serves to “protect and restore critical natural resources to ensure a resilient environment that supports healthy communities.”

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All over the world, historic communities and structures provide a visual link to the past by displaying elements and features that could not be reproduced on their own today.

This month, our highlighted eTools focus on methods municipalities can take to implement historic preservation programs to help protect these important historic resources, landscapes, and structures.

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The Battle of the Brandywine was a critical military engagement of the American Revolution that took place on September 11, 1777. The action (and events leading up to the day of battle) occurred right here, spanning approximately 35,000 acres over portions of both Chester and Delaware counties, as well as New Castle County.

In 2013, the Brandywine Battlefield Preservation Plan was released (which stemmed from a recommendation in the 2010 Battlefield Study) as a way to work to preserve and raise awareness about the battlefield’s historic buildings and open space landscapes. The plan was completed as a regional planning effort, in cooperation with Brandywine Battlefield Task Force and in working with the 15 battlefield municipalities. The 2013 plan recommended consideration of battle-related local planning, land conservation, historic resource protection, and heritage interpretation efforts (such as signage). The plan also identified battlefield strategic landscapes, which comprised important battle events, open lands, and historic buildings, but were in need of further evaluation for directed local planning. Due to the battlefield’s very large size, strategic landscapes were divided into phases for specific study.

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If you’ve ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at the Chester County Planning Commission, you’ll find (among other things) our skilled team of graphics professionals. The graphics team is part of our Design and Technology division, and this month, we’re excited to highlight our Senior Graphics Specialist, Chris Bittle!

Chris arrived at the Chester County Planning Commission (by accident) back in 1987. What was supposed to be a summer lawn-mowing job for the Chester County Parks Department, (fortunately) turned into a long-time career when his plans fell through due to an ankle injury. When the secretary at the Parks Department saw that Chris was studying Graphic Design, she sent his resume upstairs to apply for the Planning Commission’s summer part-time graphics position instead – and he’s been here (more or less) ever since!

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In recognition of October as National Community Planning Month, the Chester County Commissioners have issued a formal proclamation noting the county’s many regional and local planning initiatives, both before and during the COVID-19 outbreak.

“Change is constant and affects all municipalities in Chester County, and community planning can help manage this change in a way that provides better choices for how people work and live,” the Commissioners’ proclamation states.

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Preserving Chester County’s open space, farmland, and natural features is an essential component to protecting our quality of life, economy, and future. After all – Chester County is one of the fastest growing counties in the state!

Back in the 1980s, Chester County’s protected open space accounted for less than 20,000 acres of land. Today, thanks to the hard work and dedication of the County Commissioners and many local residents and land preservation groups, nearly 30% (or almost 150,000 acres) of the county’s overall land is permanently protected. This is a huge accomplishment for Chester County, and supports the preserve goal found within Landscapes3.

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Heading into its 26th year, the Chester County Town Tours and Village Walks program – like most of the nation – was faced with the many new challenges of COVID-19. While it was no easy task to replace the experience of walking through a town or village and seeing firsthand the unique character, the “Virtual Summer Series” went from a mere vision to an exciting reality thanks to the hard work and dedication of this year’s sponsors and volunteers.

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