The following are various publications that have been published by the LVPC staff. Because of the size of most of these reports they have been broken into several pdf files. To get the maximum size the files will open in the full window of your browser. To return to this page, you will have to either close the new window that appears or hit the back button, depending on the browser being used. |
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| The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission is pleased to present our annual report. The annual report documents our activities during the past year and identifies the work we hope to complete this year. |
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The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission has historical aerials available for viewing.
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An Affordable Housing Assessment of the Lehigh Valley - adopted April 4, 2007 |
The Lehigh Valley is home to over 235,000 households. New housing development has
contributed to the robust economy of the region where 17,000 new residential units were
approved between 2001 and 2005. Many residents are new to the area, finding the
housing very affordable when compared to where they are relocating from – New Jersey,
New York and Philadelphia. But this scenario is developing at a cost to many in the
region who find it difficult to secure affordable housing. |
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Access Management on Arterial Roads explores how we can create a better transportation network through planning, coordination and design. Access management is a means of preserving capacity and improving safety on those roads that carry through traffic by regulating access points and driveways. The report illustrates that numerous best management practices are available to implement access management. They deal with access from alternate roads, lotting and site development, driveway location and design, and arterial road design. These practices can be implemented through zoning ordinance and subdivision and land development ordinance provisions. They can also implement the recommendations of plans like corridor studies and neighborhood circulation/access plans. Actions for improving access management are spelled out in a series of recommendations in the report.
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| This data disc was prepared by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission and is an update from the prior Data Disc Release version 4.2. |
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Hazard Mitigation Plan Lehigh Valley, PA - July 2006 |
| Natural disasters can strike anywhere, anytime. A disaster can come in many forms including floods, earthquakes,
winter storms and tornadoes, among others. The result of these disasters has been the loss of homes, property,
communities, jobs, and in some cases, lives. According to the National Weather Service, the average annual
number of fatalities in the United States due to severe weather between 1994 and 2003 was 514. Severe weather
includes floods, tornadoes, lightning, hurricanes, heat, cold and winter storms. The average annual severe weather
damage costs over the same time period were approximately $12 billion. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration reports that 90% of all natural disasters in the United States involve flooding and about 100 people
on average are killed each year by flooding. The focus of this report is on reducing damage from a natural disaster in the Lehigh Valley. |
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| The Hazard Mitigation Plan Lehigh Valley, PA provides for continuous monitoring, evaluating, and updating on annual and five year cycles to ensure the plan remains an active and relevant document. This report serves as the first annual report since FEMA approval of the plan in 2007. The purpose of the annual report is to monitor the progress of the actions and projects listed in the plan, to evaluate the effectiveness of the plan, and to update data, mapping and analyses if new information is available. |
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| Housing in the Lehigh Valley 2008 is the first in a new series of annual housing market studies. The report looks at the sale price of each of the 6,934 homes sold in Lehigh and Northampton Counties in 2008 and analyzes this information to draw conclusions about housing affordability. The report also includes information from the federal Housing Price Index and data on residential vacancy. |
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Lehigh Valley Greenways Plan - adopted May 24, 2007 |
| The Lehigh Valley Greenways Plan begins with the understanding that there are many valuable cultural and natural resources worthy of discovery and preservation throughout Lehigh and Northampton counties. This two-county region can be seen as an intricate fabric of interconnected threads. Each thread represents a resource that is woven together to create the composite community fabric that surrounds us. The fabric of the Lehigh Valley is made up of rivers and streams and the industry they supported, wooded ridgelines and fertile agricultural valleys, a rich historic and cultural heritage, and a diverse population that is increasing with each passing year. |
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Lehigh Valley Profile & Trends |
| This report provides a compilation of statistics and graphics which summarize existing conditions
and past and projected trends in the “Lehigh Valley” (Lehigh and Northampton counties). It is
designed for use by planners, public officials, private organizations and individuals interested
in growth and development in the Lehigh Valley. |
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Lehigh Valley Regional Action Plan |
| In recent years the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has taken a strong interest in integrating land use, transportation, economic development and conservation policies and actions throughout the state. This interest has taken shape in the form of a number of state-level initiatives focused on identifying conflicts among planning partners involved in these areas and making recommendations for improved coordination. Most recently, the Commonwealth has initiated the "Land Use, Transportation and Economic Development" (LUTED) program as its current integration effort. As part of this program, ten regions throughout the Commonwealth are developing Regional Action Plans that outline ways for state agencies to better integrate their policies and actions to avoid conflicts, streamline procedures and make more efficient use of state resources at the regional level. The Lehigh Valley Regional Action Plan (Regional Action Plan) presented here represents the LUTED plan for the Lehigh Valley region. |
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| This publication provides information on the municipal officials in Lehigh and Northampton counties. |
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| This report contains a list of the most frequently requested maps and publications that are currently
available from the LVPC. Some of these publications are out of print but available for review in the
LVPC offices. |
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| This report contains basic land use, assessed valuation, taxation, housing
and population data about the Lehigh Valley, Lehigh and Northampton
counties and each of the Valley’s 62 municipalities. There are a total of 3
cities, 27 boroughs and 32 townships. |
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Natural Areas Inventory Summary (April 1999) |
| This Natural Areas Inventory Summary is a synopsis of the complete report A Natural Areas Inventory of Lehigh and Northampton Counties, Pennsylvania. The Natural Areas
Inventory was prepared by the staff of the Pennsylvania Science Office of The Nature
Conservancy. The summary gives general information on the locations of rare, threatened, and
endangered species and of the highest quality natural areas in the Lehigh Valley. |
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Nazareth Area Multimunicipal Comprehensive Plan - January 2006 |
| Nazareth Area ... 2030 was prepared for the Nazareth Area Council of Governments by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission. Following are the files that contain this comprehensive plan. |
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| This report contains guidelines, project selection criteria, application forms and other information necessary
for the implementation of an open space, park and agricultural preservation program in
Northampton County. |
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| To track implementation of the Nazareth Area ... 2030 Multimunicipal Comprehensive Plan, the implementation agreement requires the preparation of a yearly report concerning the activities carried out during the previous year pursuant to the agreement. This annual report outlines the activities carried out by the participating municipalities, NAZCOG and the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission (LVPC) during the year 2007. Additionally, this report includes information on 2007 development trends in the participating municipalities. Development information is presented to provide a framework from which one can evaluate the extent to which these municipalities provide for all categories of use within the region. |
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| To track implementation of the Nazareth Area ... 2030 Multimunicipal Comprehensive Plan, the implementation agreement requires the preparation of a yearly report concerning the activities carried out during the previous year pursuant to the agreement. This annual report outlines the activities carried out by the participating municipalities, NAZCOG and the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission (LVPC) during the year 2008. Additionally, this report includes information on 2008 development trends in the participating municipalities. Development information is presented to provide a framework from which one can evaluate the extent to which these municipalities provide for all categories of use within the region. |
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| Northampton County Parks — 2010 updates the work that was included in the 1991 parks plan. The
section on background data contains updated population estimates and current information on existing
parks and other outdoor recreation sites in Northampton County. The sections on park and open space
standards, facility standards, and recommended guidelines for the acquisition of park and open space
have been updated and revised as needed. |
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| This Parks, Open Space, and Outdoor Recreation Inventory, which is updated annually, provides information on public and private sites throughout Lehigh and Northampton counties. The report includes a bi-county map, summary tables, sites by county and municipality, sites by name, and an updates list. |
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| The purpose of this regulation is to provide a uniform and comprehensive set of standards for the
development and installation of new commercial communications towers and antennae. The
regulations contained herein are designed to protect and promote public health, safety, and the
general welfare of the community while ensuring that new commercial communications towers will
be safe and be placed in suitable locations and at the same time not unduly restricting the
development of needed telecommunications facilities. These regulations will also help in ensuring
that municipal land use regulations are in compliance with the Federal Telecommunications Act of
1996. |
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| The LVPC reviews subdivision and land development plans relative to the policies of the County
Comprehensive Plan Lehigh Valley … 2030. The subdivision activity report is completed annually to
provide a general overview of development activity. |
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