PROJECT: 25-33-020 - Community & Economic Development
| Responsible Agency: | Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission |
|---|---|
| Program Coordinator: | Spencer Gober |
| Project Manager(s): | Karen Cilurso, Karin Morris |
| Supports LRP Goals: |
Goals:
To support the key policies of Connections 2050 by ensuring diverse and competitive regional and local economies, and encouraging reinvestment in the region through land use, redevelopment, and economic development planning and implementation.
The Community and Economic Development program area supports PennDOT's Planning Priority (IV) Land Use/Transportation Linkages/Economic Development/Modernization, specifically to identify livability, sustainability, and resiliency planning strategies to tie the quality and location of transportation facilities and services to broader opportunities, such as access to good jobs, affordable housing, quality schools, safe streets, economic development, social equity, and environmental conservation.
This program supports NJDOT's MPO Planning Priorities by promoting partnerships and continuing to engage with the public to strengthen public confidence and participation in the planning process through the use of web/technology, social media, outreach, education, and public forum meetings and working with county and municipal partners for integration of transportation and land use to promote community livability.
Description:
Multi Modal Access to Tourism Destination: As outlined in the IIJA, staff will continue to explore multi-modal accessibility of tourist destinations. Staff will coordinate America250PA planning efforts, when appropriate.
Building Municipal Capacity (BMC): Staff will engage and inform the region’s stakeholders and community leaders of current planning-related issues and trends. Staff will fulfill requirements from the American Planning Association to maintain our AICP CM Credit Provider status and organize up to two (2) educational events for partners, as required. The Municipal Funding Resource (MFR), a comprehensive list of grant programs for stakeholders through a shared online database, will be maintained.
Community Revitalization: Staff will continue to monitor issues related to community economic resilience, specifically for the region’s downtowns, main streets, and retail districts. This may include research into identified, relevant, and emerging trends; as well as policy recommendations, convening stakeholders, and/or as responding to requests for geographically specific analyses. Completion of this work may require the purchase of equipment and data services.
Economic Analysis: Staff will gather and analyze new and updated datasets to better understand the region’s economy, how it compares to other regions across the country, and the impacts that national and global trends have had on it. Staff may also support efforts related to the Economic Development District designation.
TCDI Administration: Program administration of the Transportation and Community Development Initiative (TCDI) grant program will continue. Staff will continue to administer awards from the FY 24 NJ TCDI round. In addition, staff will facilitate project selection of the FY 2025 PA grants and procurement process. The FY 26 New Jersey guidelines will also be developed. Tasks related to each of the solicitations includes procurement, invoicing, progress reports, and outreach meetings, as necessary. Staff will continue to maintain the TCDI Direct (project management) database to provide project management for previously awarded projects. Additionally, staff will continue to manage the Consultant Qualification System (CQS), which involves ongoing review of proposals received in response to an open-ended request for qualifications. Staff may also work to improve and enhance TCDI Direct and the CQS as needed to further streamline administrative processes.
Livable Communities Support: As needs and opportunities arise, staff will support other work within Livable Communities to encourage multidisciplinary collaboration across the division. Staf will provide support to the regional zoning atlas and the warehouse vacancy scenario analysis.
Inter-Agency Collaboration: When appropriate, staff may collaborate with other offices within the Commission on multidisciplinary efforts related to Community & Economic Development.
Tasks:
- Convene, and work with, regional partners on the America250PA effort, as requested, to ensure integration of access options
- Build municipal capacity through educational events to further the goals of Connections 2050
- Maintain the Municipal Funding Resource Database
- Serve as an APA AICP CM Provider
- Monitor trends in downtowns, main streets, and retail districts, and conduct research and analysis as appropriate
- Provide local technical assistance to municipal stakeholders on revitalization strategies through downtown analysis and events to build municipal capacity
- Maintain the community revitalization webpage and subpages
- Conduct analyses related to the EDD designation as needed
- Administer awards from the FY 24 TCDI NJ solicitation.
- Facilitate project solicitation of the FY25 PA TCDI grants and procurement processes
- Develop the FY26 NJ TCDI Program Guidelines
- Maintain the TCDI Direct project management and Consultant Qualifications Database (CQS) databases
- Participate in the development of the Regional Zoning Atlas
- Collaborate and participate in the Warehouse Vacancy Scenario Analysis, as requested
Products:
- Meetings with, and additional materials for, America250PA stakeholders, as appropriate
- BMC educational webinars and other similar engagement events, format(s) to be determined based on need and audience
- Municipal Funding Resource Database
- APA AICP CM credit event surveys
- Presentations as requested
- Retail district webmap updates
- Buxton retail and cell phone analyses, as requested
- Economic Data bulletins, snapshots, and/or other publications as deemed appropriate
- FY26 NJ TCDI Program Guidelines, application, and webpage updates
- TCDI Direct project management database
- Consultant Qualification System database
- Outcomes of Zoning Atlas effort
- Results of the warehousing vacancy scenario analysis
Beneficiaries:
Member governments, nonprofits, developers, the private sector, economic development professionals, and planning professionals
Project Cost and Funding:
| FY | Total | Highway PL Program | Transit PL Program | Comprehensive Planning | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $606,000 | $216,108 | $69,892 | $45,000 | $275,000 |
| 2024 | $658,500 | $469,271 | $159,229 | $30,000 | |
| 2025 | $708,500 | $489,141 | $189,359 | $30,000 |