Lehigh Valley Planning Commission

Lehigh Valley Planning Commission
Name	Lehigh Valley Planning Commission
Formation	1968
Type	Regional planning agency
Headquarters	Allentown, Pennsylvania
Region served	Lehigh Valley
Leader title	Executive Director

Lehigh Valley Planning Commission is a metropolitan planning organization serving the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, headquartered in Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton corridors. The commission coordinates land use, transportation, conservation, and economic development among municipalities such as Allentown, Pennsylvania, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Easton, Pennsylvania, and surrounding townships within Lehigh County, Pennsylvania and Northampton County, Pennsylvania. It interacts with federal and state entities including the United States Department of Transportation, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and regional bodies like the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority and the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission.

History

Created in the late 1960s amid postwar suburbanization and interstate construction, the commission was formed during the era of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 and state-level planning reforms. Early efforts linked municipal zoning changes in communities such as Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania and Upper Macungie Township, Pennsylvania with regional growth trends driven by employers like Bethlehem Steel and institutions like Muhlenberg College and Lehigh University. During the 1970s and 1980s the commission engaged with federal programs stemming from the National Environmental Policy Act and the Clean Air Act to integrate transportation planning with environmental protection initiatives in corridors near the Lehigh River and the Delaware River. In the 1990s and 2000s its work expanded to address commuter patterns connected to metropolitan labor markets centered on Philadelphia and New York City, reflecting research published by organizations such as the Urban Land Institute and the American Planning Association. Recent decades have seen partnerships with statewide efforts led by the Pennsylvania Governor's Office and initiatives tied to the Every Day Counts program of the Federal Highway Administration.

Organization and Governance

The commission operates as a joint planning body representing county commissioners from Lehigh County, Pennsylvania and Northampton County, Pennsylvania and appointed municipal delegates from places such as Bangor, Pennsylvania, Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, and Macungie, Pennsylvania. Its board structure reflects standards advocated by the National Association of Regional Councils and professional guidelines of the American Institute of Certified Planners. Staffed by planners, engineers, and analysts with affiliations to universities like Lehigh University and Penn State Lehigh Valley, the commission maintains committees on transportation, land use, and environmental review that coordinate with the Metropolitan Planning Organization process under federal statutes. Legal and administrative oversight sometimes involves interaction with the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code and county administrative offices including the Lehigh County Board of Commissioners.

Planning Activities and Programs

The commission produces region-wide documents analogous to comprehensive plans and corridor studies, collaborating on multimodal transportation plans that reference SEPTA service patterns, regional transit proposals akin to those studied by the Port Authority of Allegheny County, and highway analyses informed by I-78 and Route 22 (Pennsylvania) traffic patterns. It administers mapping and GIS services compatible with standards from the United States Geological Survey and coordinates bicycle and pedestrian planning consistent with design guidance from the National Association of City Transportation Officials and federal multimodal initiatives from the Federal Transit Administration. The commission runs programs addressing historic preservation linked to listings on the National Register of Historic Places and brownfield redevelopment accelerated by incentives similar to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant programs. Workforce and economic development planning interacts with agencies such as Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry and regional chambers like the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation.

Regional Projects and Initiatives

Major initiatives have included corridor revitalization efforts in downtown Allentown, Pennsylvania and Main Street projects in boroughs like Slatington, Pennsylvania; freight and rail coordination tied to the Norfolk Southern Railway and the Lehigh Valley Railroad legacy; and watershed and greenway projects along the Lehigh River linked to conservation groups such as the Lehigh Valley Conservancy and the Sierra Club chapters in Pennsylvania. The commission has participated in transit feasibility studies referencing commuter rail concepts similar to those promoted by the New Jersey Transit and commuter bus networks like those of Trans-Bridge Lines. It has also partnered on resilience and stormwater programs consistent with guidance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and climate adaptation frameworks promoted by the Union of Concerned Scientists.

Funding and Partnerships

Funding streams combine federal apportioned funds managed by the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration, state grants administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, and municipal contributions from county and borough budgets. The commission often secures competitive grants from foundations and federal programs comparable to the Department of Housing and Urban Development community planning grants, and leverages public–private partnerships involving development entities such as regional real estate firms and anchor institutions like Lehigh Valley Health Network. Collaboration networks include academic partners such as DeSales University and workforce agencies like the Lehigh Valley Workforce Development Board.

Impact and Controversies

The commission's planning has influenced suburban development patterns affecting municipalities including Salisbury Township, Pennsylvania and Upper Saucon Township, Pennsylvania and supported infrastructure projects that proponents argue improved freight mobility and access to employment centers such as Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest. Critics and controversies have centered on debates over growth management, disputes with preservation groups citing impacts on historic districts listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and tensions over funding priorities between urban cores like Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and suburban townships. Litigation and public hearings have at times involved county courts and state agencies, echoing disputes seen in other regions between regional planning agencies and local municipalities.

Category:Organizations based in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania Category:Regional planning commissions in Pennsylvania