2018 Award for a Plan
Alleghenies Ahead-Shared Strategies for a Stronger Region
Southern Alleghenies Regional Planning & Development Commission and the Counties of Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fulton, Huntingdon & Somerset
Alleghenies Ahead is an unprecedented multi-county comprehensive plan. It involves six counties ranging in population from 15,000 to 135,000. The counties realized they have common issues – broadband, housing and blight, and economic development – and by working together they could achieve more progress than if working alone. The plan emphasizes implementation. It outlines regional priorities and detailed county-level action plans. Priorities reflect input of 400 neighbors and colleagues participating in “kitchen table conversations” in each county. The plan defines principles to help align even the smallest of local decisions with regional goals and outcomes. Alleghenies Ahead changed the conversation and strengthened the region’s resolve for the future.
tags: Blight, Broadband, Comprehensive Planning, Economic Development, Housing Planning, Rural Planning