New River Valley
Sustainable Land Development in Southwest Virginia
As part of an on-going effort to facilitate and encourage sustainable land development, the NRVPDC and other partners hosted several meetings and workshops to address this issue. The link above takes you to the full report, including the history of sustainable development in the NRV, meeting and workshop reports, as well as suggested next steps.
Virginia Cooperative Extension
The Virginia Cooperative Extension provides a variety of educational resources for local landowners, farmers, and citizens interested in providing healthy and economically viable communities.
NRLT Decision Support System
The Conservation Management Institute at Virginia Tech and the New River Land Trust partnered to develop a GIS-based decision support system to determine land of high conservation value in the New River Valley. If you are a first time user, you can register using the link in the middle of the DSS page.
Montgomery County
Village Transportation Links
Montgomery County has recently approved a comprehensive plan that includes plans for alternative transportation links among the six villages within the county.
Village Planning
Montgomery County has approved six village plans that were developed to establish a framework to address the concerns involving expected growth and development within these villages.
Blacksburg
Sustainable Blacksburg
Sustainable Blacksburg is a collaborative community partnership formed as part of a $95,000 U.S. EPA Resource Conservation Challenge grant received by the Town of Blacksburg to address toxic chemical risks facing the community.
Cool Cities Program
In an effort to reduce their carbon footprint, Blacksburg has joined the Cool Cities program.
Regional
Chesterfield County's Green Infrastructure Report
"Green Infrastructure: Protecting Resources for Future Generations" is the Green Infrastructure Report developed by Chesterfield County's Committee on the Future. This initiative was developed due to a growing concern for the loss of open space, natural resources and historical sites throughout the county.
Grayson LandCare
A local chapter of Appalachian LandCare, this grassroots organization aims to promote sustainable land and water management through the cooperative support of local communities, private corporations and government agencies.
Southeast Watershed Assistance Network
"A Clearinghouse for Land and Water Protection Resources" including land and resource conservation, watershed management, quality growth and sustainable building.
River Basin Center
An effort to integrate science and policymaking to help protect our water resources.
VDOF Sustainable Development of Forest lands
A regional project that wishes to protect productive intact farms and forests through sustainable residential development.
The Hampton Roads Conservation Corridor Study
A regional open space network based on water quality and habitat protection using a Green Infrastructure approach.
Maryland’s Green Infrastructure Assessment
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has been working to indentify undeveloped lands within the state that are most crucial to their ecological health. This site guides visitors through the process and status of the project.
National
Mid-American Regional Council Smart Growth Resources
The Mid-American Regional Council in the bi-state Kansas City region has been working with localities on multiple projects, including a natural resources inventory and other programs promoting smart growth. Not only is the region working to expand the greenways and trails networks in the area, but also providing for the creation of quality places balancing environmental, economic, and social considerations.
Environmental Protection Agency Smart Growth
Valuable resources to help learn more about Smart Growth and what tools are needed to implement Smart Growth strategies within your community.
Green Infrastructure Education and Implementation
The USDA and the Conservation Fund have partnered in an effort to provide funding for localities and regions to educate their communities on green infrastructure through a series of public meetings and a network design workshop.
Urban Land Institute
A nonprofit research and education organization whose mission is to create sustainable communities through the responsible use of land.
Green Values Stormwater Toolbox
Developed by the Center for Neighborhood Technology in Illinois, this site contains basic information on Green Infrastructure and how it can assist in stormwater management.
Natural Connections
A partnership between the Center for Neighborhood Technology and Openlands, this site is an example of Green Infrastructure mapping in the interstate region between Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana.
General Information
Green Infrastructure
As defined by Wikipedia.org
Green Infrastructure
As defined by the US Environmental Protection Agency |