Land Development

The mission of Land Development activities at the PHRC is to serve the home building industry and the residents of Pennsylvania by acting as a technical resource for the design community, local governments and regulatory entities. This is achieved through involvement in land development-related activities including subdivision design standards, the annual PA Land Development Conference, land use planning, environmental regulations, stormwater management and water quality, and other technical issues.

Land Development projects at the PHRC address emerging issues in the field including stormwater management and water quality, nutrient management related to Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) and wastewater (public wastewater treatment plants and on-lot systems), as well as energy efficient and sustainable design. Projects could also assess the planning tools provided to counties and municipalities through the Municipalities Planning Code, and provide guidance or training to help them keep pace with emerging techniques and practices that are employed by the development community. The Land Use and Development Specialist will also teach one undergraduate course each fall semester, CE 410W Sustainable Residential Subdivision Design.

The PHRC is currently undertaking a project to revise and update the Subdivision and Land Development Guidelines for Pennsylvania originally published in April 2007. Check out the progress here.