Northeastern Pennsylvania Regional Planning Commission

Northeastern Pennsylvania Regional Planning Commission
Name	Northeastern Pennsylvania Regional Planning Commission
Abbreviation	NEPARPC
Type	Regional planning commission
Headquarters	Scranton, Pennsylvania
Region served	Lackawanna County; Luzerne County; Monroe County; Pike County; Wayne County; Wyoming County
Leader title	Executive Director

Northeastern Pennsylvania Regional Planning Commission The Northeastern Pennsylvania Regional Planning Commission is a regional planning body based in Scranton coordinating land use, transportation, and environmental planning across northeastern Pennsylvania. It collaborates with state agencies, federal programs, county administrations, municipal governments, and nonprofit organizations to advance regional development, infrastructure, and conservation priorities. The commission engages with stakeholders including residents, businesses, academic institutions, and transit authorities to integrate local plans with statewide and federal frameworks.

Overview

The commission functions as a metropolitan and regional planning entity linking local governments with Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and regional authorities to implement multimodal transportation, land use, and environmental programs. It serves counties such as Lackawanna County, Luzerne County, Monroe County, Pike County, Wayne County, and Wyoming County while interfacing with municipal governments like Scranton, Pennsylvania, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Pocono Pines, Honesdale, Pennsylvania, and Carbondale, Pennsylvania. The commission coordinates planning consistent with statutes including the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code and federal requirements under acts such as the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991.

History

The commission emerged from mid‑20th century regionalization trends that followed initiatives by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration, and state planning efforts tied to postwar infrastructure investment. Early collaborations involved county planners, officials from Lackawanna County Courthouse and Luzerne County Courthouse, and civic groups influenced by planning models from the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency and the Susquehanna River Basin Commission. Over decades it adapted to shifts prompted by the Clean Water Act, the Interstate Highway System, and regional economic transitions tied to the collapse of anthracite mining and the rise of service sectors in the Pocono Mountains and Lehigh Valley corridors.

Organizational Structure and Governance

The commission is governed by a board composed of elected officials and appointed representatives from county commissioners, city councils, township supervisors, and municipal authorities, drawing membership practices from regional bodies like the Metropolitan Planning Organization model and aligning with guidance from the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations. Its staff includes planners with backgrounds connected to institutions such as Penn State University, University of Scranton, and Lackawanna College, as well as technical liaisons to Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance and metropolitan transit agencies like the Lackawanna Transit System and Luzerne County Transportation Authority. Decision‑making follows bylaws consistent with intergovernmental agreements and public participation protocols echoing standards from the American Planning Association.

Planning Areas and Programs

Key program areas include transportation planning integrating road, transit, bicycle, and pedestrian systems with freight considerations tied to corridors like Interstate 81, Interstate 84 (Pennsylvania–New York), and the Crough Canal corridor; environmental planning addressing watersheds such as the Lackawanna River, the Susquehanna River, and wetlands in the Pocono Creek basin; land use and zoning support for municipalities including Dunmore, Pennsylvania and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania‑area planners; and economic development initiatives coordinated with agencies like the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and the Economic Development Administration. Programs address hazard mitigation in flood‑prone areas influenced by events such as Hurricane Agnes and infrastructure resilience aligned with guidance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Projects and Initiatives

The commission has led corridor studies, multimodal transit plans, and brownfield redevelopment projects collaborating with partners including the Environmental Protection Agency Brownfields Program, Amtrak, Norfolk Southern Railway, and regional chambers such as the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce. Notable initiatives include freight mobility assessments tied to the Lehigh Valley Rail Project, Complete Streets pilot projects in municipalities influenced by design standards from the National Association of City Transportation Officials, and watershed restoration projects coordinated with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and local watershed associations. The commission also advanced land‑use scenario planning tools akin to those used by the Regional Plan Association.

Funding and Partnerships

Revenue and project support are derived from federal grants from agencies like the Federal Transit Administration, state grants from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and competitive funding from entities such as the U.S. Department of Transportation BUILD Program and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Partnerships extend to academic research collaborations with Lehigh University, workforce development programs with Community College of Philadelphia‑area models, philanthropic support from foundations similar to the William Penn Foundation, and interagency coordination with the Susquehanna River Basin Commission and county redevelopment authorities.

Impact and Regional Outcomes

The commission’s planning and technical assistance have contributed to improved connectivity along corridors serving Scranton–Wilkes-Barre commuting markets, redevelopment of former industrial and mining sites in the Anthracite Coal Region, enhanced stormwater management in watersheds feeding the Susquehanna River, and multimodal investments that expanded access to transit hubs used by Amtrak and regional bus services. Outcomes include updated comprehensive plans for municipalities, grant awards for infrastructure upgrades, and policy changes in zoning and land‑use practices influenced by model ordinances from the American Planning Association and state policy frameworks.

Category:Regional planning commissions in the United States Category:Organizations based in Scranton, Pennsylvania