Land Use Resources

Department of Housing & Community Development, Community Development Division assists in guiding land use policy and development decisions to meet statutory goals (24 VSA section 4302). First among those is “to plan development so as to maintain the historic settlement pattern of compact village and urban centers separated by rural countryside.” They have produced a guide for updating zoning, and also provide Municipal Planning Grants, a resources page,  and run the Designated Village and Downtowns program.

American Planning Association is a nonprofit public interest and research organization committed to urban, suburban, regional, and rural planning. APA and its professional institute, the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), advance the art and science of planning to meet the needs of people and society. All TRORC staff are APA members and several are AICP certified.

Northern New England Chapter of the American Planning Association serves APA members in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The annual NNECAPA conference is an excellent training resource, and their website has planning resources for a wide variety of topics.

Vermont Association of Planning and Development Agencies (VAPDA) represents all 11 regional planning commissions in Vermont. This site also links to each regional commission.

EPA’s Smart Growth site has information about specific topics, resources, and examples of smart growth development, including the National Award for Smart Growth Achievement.

The Lincoln Land Institute – Online Education offers online courses.

Vermont League of Cities and Towns provides research and information sharing, training, technical assistance, legislative advocacy, group insurance programs, and legal assistance to Vermont cities and towns.

Vermont Secretary of State’s Office is a good site for information and assistance in understanding the laws that apply to local governments. Contains “Vermont Municipal Guide to Land Use Regulations”.

Vermont Statutes On-Line: Land Use – V.S.A. Title 24, Vermont’s law governing land use and land use regulation is available on the web.