Heading out of 2024 and into 2025
Posted January 9, 2025
With the pandemic mostly behind us (though some things remain changed for the long run), it was great to see a fairly normal year for Chester County in 2024. Our communities continued to flourish and even see pre-pandemic attendance numbers, or higher, at their events and activities, and many projects that were previously on hold jumped back into action. While each year brings about a new variety of successes and challenges, Landscapes3 continued to provide a useful roadmap for the county and its municipalities throughout the year.
During the first quarter of 2024, CCPC completed an assessment of the first five years of Landscapes3 implementation (2019-2023), highlighting each of the plan's goals and what they've accomplished so far. Check out the five-year assessment.
As we work our way through the second half of Landscapes3, here's a brief recap of some major projects and initiatives that took place in 2024:
- CCPC released a new online resource for municipalities looking to discover potential redevelopment and reinvestment opportunities
- New guides, including a Village Preservation Guide and an Adaptive Reuse Guide, were published
- The county earned National Gold Level recognition for solar energy leadership under the SolSmart program
- A Heritage Tourism Plan was adopted, supporting local and regional preservation, conservation, tourism, and quality of life
- A new program was launched through the VPP offering mini-grants to municipalities
- CCPC's Landscapes Design Guide series was completed
- A Local Government Climate Action Team was formed to unite for climate action education across the county
- A Sustainable Homeowners Association webpage was created
- A Municipal Directory for Sustainability Innovations was released
- The county approved an updated Public Transportation Plan and Trails Master Plan
- And more!
As always, none of this progress would have been possible without the collaboration of partners across the county.
In 2025, CCPC will continue working on accessible housing, the Better Bus Stops pilot project, both the municipal connector trail and Circuit Trails projects, DVRPC's Safety Program, comprehensive plan updates, and many new initiatives as well.
We look forward to another exciting planning year ahead!