Two of the guiding philosophies for the future of Chester County came together recently in an Urban Centers Forum held at the Chester County Historical Society in West Chester. VISTA 2025, Chester County’s economic development strategy, stresses the need for a balance of progress and preservation as the key to long-term economic health in the county. Landscapes 2, the county’s award-winning comprehensive plan, specifically defines where growth should take place to maintain the essence of what makes Chester County special. Both of these philosophies see a central role for the county’s urban centers over the next decade.
For VISTA 2025, Chester County’s urban areas provide the perfect setting for attracting the next generation of workers who are demonstrating a preference for walkable communities with a range of amenities. For Landscapes 2, urban area growth relieves some of the pressure for consumption of currently vacant ground for new development. For these goals to be met, the county’s urban centers need to better understand how they can play a larger role in attracting and managing the type of growth that best fits their community.
The Urban Centers Forum sought to address this issue. Through the efforts of the Chester County Economic Development Council, the county’s Planning Commission and Department of Community Development, representatives of all 15 Chester County boroughs and the City of Coatesville came together to learn from each other and from two experts on urban area development. Elected officials, administrative personnel, main street managers and local business representatives heard from Todd Poole of 4ward Planning that national trends are moving in their direction. They heard Rick Ferrell of Retail Answers, LLC talk about “growth by choice, not by chance”. And, importantly, they heard from each other on how they are responding to the challenges and opportunities in front of them. The collective response from all 15 urban centers was a strong desire to continue to discuss how they can be better prepared to address the issues related to the growth of their economies.
The county has long recognized the importance of its urban areas. Through our Community Revitalization Program we have invested more than $57 million in the past 13 years in the infrastructure that supports our urban areas. That investment is paying off in the private investment now flowing into many of those urban areas. If Chester County is to achieve progress and preservation and “smart growth,” it will be critical to grow the capacity of our urban areas. The Urban Centers Forum was a strong first step in that direction.
Chester County Commissioners
Terence Farrell
Kathi Cozzone
Michelle Kichline
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