CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES, STUDENTS TO DEVELOP SMART GROWTH PLAN FOR MILFORD TOWNSHIP
Milford
Township, Bucks County, is taking a path toward smart growth while
providing future planners real-world experience.
The Milford
Township Supervisors recently approved the Center for Sustainable
Communities at Temple University Ambler and the Department of Community
and Regional Planning to assist the township in preparing a Growth
Management Plan. The $80,000 project will be funded by a federal
Department of Housing and Urban Development grant received by the
township.
“The project will be a broad-based examination of water and land resources, open space, transportation, stormwater management, sewerage, and impacts of potential future development on township revenues and expenditures,” said Dr. Jeffrey Featherstone, Director of the Center for Sustainable Communities and Chair of the Department of Community and Regional Planning (CRP). “One area of special interest is water resource preservation; protection of the Unami Creek and its tributaries. We will be researching the entire watershed to some degree.”
The
project will include water resource evaluations; Geographic Information
Systems (GIS) mapping and analysis; compilation of ecological and natural
resources inventories for the township; a review of zoning ordinances; and
impact modeling of alternative development scenarios.
According
to Dr. Featherstone, the GIS mapping will be undertaken by Center experts.
The information will then be used by Community and Regional Planning
graduate students in academic studios that are being offered for the first
time during the Fall 2003 and Spring 2004 semesters.
“The
studios, and this project in particular, provide students with real-world
experience. Instead of textbook problems, they are dealing with real
problems, real issues, and real opportunities,” Dr. Featherstone said.
“The students undertaking the project will be participating at the
township meetings, providing updated reports to the township supervisors
throughout the project.”
The
studios will be taught by M. Richard Nalbandian and Dr. Shirley Loveless
who, with Dr. Featherstone, have a combined total of about 100 years
experience in the planning field.
Milford
Township Manager Jeffrey Vey said prior to approaching the University
about the Growth Management Plan, he was familiar with the work of the
Center and its related faculty, in particular Nalbandian and Dr.
Featherstone.
“I
have the greatest respect for their competency. I felt this was a
fantastic opportunity,” Vey said. “The township gets the efforts of
the (CRP) graduate students, who are overseen by seasoned professionals,
and the students are able to engage in a real-world case study.”
Vey
said a particular benefit of the project will be the consolidation of
existing data.
“There
have been several background studies done over time. We have a number of
water quality studies, for example, that have been done for a single
purpose,” he said. “We haven’t had a comprehensive look. The
consolidated information could be used as benchmarks for the future.”
For more information on the Milford Township Growth Management Plan project and the Center for Sustainable Communities, call 215-283-1540.
CONTACT:
James Duffy, (215) 283-1290, duffyj@temple.edu,
release available by e-mail
