Planning and Resiliency Resources
General Planning and Resiliency
- APA collection of publications on resiliency
- Climate Ready Communities
- Promoting Flood Resiliency Through the Regulatory Process: Zoning Practice (APA, 2012)
- Resilient Stormwater Management in Allegheny County, Rand Corporation (2017)
- Rural Action for Adaptation
- Tap Into Resilience by the WaterNow Alliance
- US Climate Resilience Toolkit – Steps to Resilience
- Naturally Resilient Communities (NRC)
- One PGH: Pittsburgh Resilience Strategy
- PA DCED Library of Resources
- Developing a Municipal Outreach Campaign for Flood Resiliency (WRC)
- Developing a Community Engagement Program for Flood Resiliency (WRC)
Climate Change
National Climate Change Information
- Conservation in a Changing Climate (USFWS)
- EPA’s National Water Program 2012 Strategy: Response to Climate Change
- National Science Foundation Climate Change Info
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
- USGS Climate Change Information
- Climate Change & Extreme Vulnerability Assessment Framework (FHWA, 2012)
- Adaptive Response Framework for Drinking Water and Wastewater Utilities (EPA, 2012)
Pennsylvania Climate Change Information
- Pennsylvania Climate Action Plan (DEP, 2018)
- Pennsylvania Climate Impact Assessment Update (Penn State, 2015)
- Ohio River Basin: Formulating Climate Change Mitigation/Adaptation Strategies through Regional Collaboration with the ORB Alliance (USACE and ORBA, 2017)
- Climate Change Roadmap for Pennsylvania- Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC)
- EPA Climate Impacts in the Northeast
- EPA Resources for Addressing Climate Change and Water
- PA DEP Climate Change Advisory Committee
- Pennsylvania Climate Impacts Assessment (Penn State University)
- Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Plan (PA DCNR, 2018)
General Climate Change
Hazard Mitigation Planning
- Hazard Mitigation Planning (FEMA)
- Hazard Mitigation Planning (PEMA)
- Hazard Mitigation: Integrated Best Practices into Planning (APA, 2010)
- Find state and county hazard mitigation plans on our Planning Documents page
- Find hazard mitigation-related grants on our Grants and Funding Options page
Integrated Water Resource Planning
- APA Policy Guide on Water (July 2016)
- Pennsylvania State Water Plan (DEP, 2009)
- Blueprint for One Water (Water Research Foundation)
- Westmoreland County Integrated Water Resources Plan (Westmoreland County Conservation District)
- York County Integrated Water Resources Plan (York County Planning Commission)
- Sustaining Scioto Adaptive Management Plan: Water Utility Planning Strategies to Mitigate Impacts of Climate Change in Central Ohio (Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, 2015)
- EPA Memorandum of Support for Integrated Municipal Stormwater and Wastewater Planning Approach Framework (2012)
- County Planning Directors Association of Pennsylvania Position Statement on One Water (2016)
- SmartMoves for a Changing Region (SPC, 2019)
- 2019 Water Infrastructure and Improvement Act (WIIA)
- EPA’s Integrated Municipal Stormwater and Wastewater Plans
- Integrated Water Resource Management (APA)
- Integrated Planning & Water Management (WRF)
Sustainable Land Use Planning
General
- The Keystone Principles & Criteria for Growth, Investment, & Resource Conservation
- Growing Smarter Action Plan (Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 2004)
- How Effective is Land Use Planning in Pennsylvania? (Penn State, 2001)
- Innovative Land Use Planning Techniques: A Handbook for Sustainable Development (NH Dept of Environmental Services, 2008)
- Land Use Management Toolkit: Resources for Smart Development (Sustainable Pittsburgh)
- Municipal Corner: Planning Toolbox (Chester County Planning Commission)
- Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (Act of 1968, Twenty Third Edition, January 2017)
- Planning and Land Use (US Climate Resilience Toolkit)
- Planning Beyond Boundaries (10,000 Friends, 2002)
- Subdivision Design and Flood Hazard Areas (APA, 2016)
- Urban Land Institute
Comprehensive plans
- Local Land Use Planning Controls in Pennsylvania (Conservation Tools)
- Planning Series #1: Local Land Use Controls in Pennsylvania (PA Governor’s Center of Local Government Services, 2014)
- Planning Series #3: The Comprehensive Plan in Pennsylvania (PA Governor’s Center for Local Government Services, 2001)
Hazard mitigation plans
- Integrating the Local Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan into a Community’s Comrephensive Plan: A Guidebook for Local Governments (FEMA, 2013)
- Building Community Resilience by Integrating Hazard Mitigation: Integrating Hazard Mitigation into the Local Comprehensive Plan (FEMA brochure, 2013)
- Land Use Tool: Comprehensive Plan (Planning for Hazards)
Local ordinances
- Pennsylvania’s Stormwater Management Act (Act 167) (DEP, 2007)
- Steep Slope Ordinance (Conservation Tools)
- Natural Resource Protection Ordinance (Chester County Planning Commission)
- Model Conservation Zoning District and Natural Resource Protection Standards (Lancaster County Planning Commission, 2010)
- Agricultural Protection Zoning (Conservation Tools)
- Tree Ordinance (Conservation Tools)
- Fox Chapel Borough’s Natural Resources Protection Ordinance
- Indiana County’s Special Recreation and Conservation Zoning Ordinance
- Sample Natural Resource Protection and Open Space Preservation Ordinances (DVRPC)
Codes
Smart growth
- Smart Growth Network
- APA Policy Guide on Smart Growth
- This is Smart Growth (Smart Growth Network, 2014)
- Smart Growth (EPA)
- Chapter 11: Smart Growth – A Citizen’s Guide to Clean Water (Pike County)
- Smart Growth America
Low impact development
EcoDistricts
- Etna EcoDistrict (EcoDistricts.org)
- Millvale EcoDistrict (EcoDistricts.org)
- Ecodistricts 101 (New Sun Rising)
- Millvale Ecodistrict Pivot Plan (evolveEA)
For property owners
Transportation Planning
General
- Infrastructure Report Card (ASCE, 2017)
- PennDOT Stormwater Control Measure Maintenance Manual (PennDOT, 2019)
Design
- PA Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMP) Manual
- Urban Street Stormwater Guide (NATCO)
- Case Studies Highlight Benefits of Multimodal Roadway Design and Green Infrastructure (FHWA, July 2018)
- Green Stormwater Infrastructure Strategies for Airports: Challenges and Opportunities (ASCE Library, 2015)
- Integrating Transportation and Green Infrastructure presentation (SCVURPPP and EOA Inc, 2017)
Maintenance
Risks/Threats
- Sinkholes (DCNR)
- Sinkholes (DEP)
- Sinkholes in Pennsylvania publication (Kochanov, 2015)
- Landslides (DCNR)
- Landslides in Pennsylvania (Delano and Wilshusen, 2001)
- Landslides in the Greater Pittsburgh Region (Pomeroy, 1982)
- Allegheny County Landslide Portal (Allegheny County)
Watershed Plans and Reports
- See our Planning Documents page for a list of watershed plans and reports by county or explore plans and reports in our interact map on the Integrated Water Resource Planning page.