Regional Planning
The George Washington Regional Commission has had an ongoing Regional Planning Program since the mid-1960s. Because the Code of Virginia assigns zoning and subdivision authority exclusively to local governments, the purpose of GWRC’s Regional Planning Program is both to support those efforts by providing technical support and data resources to our member localities, and to work with our members to establish a vision for the Region as a whole. The Commission also monitors local land-use decisions and development to better understand how local planning policies (both inside and outside of Planning District 16) impact neighboring localities and the Region.
The Regional Planning Program also supports FAMPO’s efforts by injecting into the transportation planning process critical land-use and socioeconomic data, which is a reflection of the Commission’s recognition of the inextricable link between transportation and land use.
The GWRC has expertise in demographic analysis, geographic information systems, modeling, comprehensive planning, visioning, cultural and historical resource assessment and many other skills. Please visit this page often to keep abreast of the Regional Planning Program’s activities and studies. If you have specific questions, please send them to Kevin F. Byrnes, AICP – the Commission’s Director of Regional Planning – at byrnes@gwregion.org.
Regional Redistricting Workshop Presentation – November 16, 2010
Regional Children and Nature Network Program
As the Planning District Commission for the Region (Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania, and Stafford Counties and the City of Fredericksburg), the George Washington Regional Commission would like to collaborate with local stakeholders to expand natural educational experiences currently available to area youth. Our goal is to design and implement a regional Children and Nature Network program which would include natural habitat areas throughout the Region.
Richard Louv describes in his book Last Child in the Woods what he calls “nature deficit disorder” as the result of children spending less time outdoors. The lack of nature in the lives of today’s children can be linked to trends in childhood obesity, attention deficit disorder, depression and other pediatric health issues. Research indicates that outdoor activities, especially unstructured play, improves children’s health by increasing physical activity, creativity, and psychological resilience. The Children and Nature Network was “created to encourage and support the people and organizations working worldwide to reconnect children with nature.” County, regional, and statewide programs are being developed throughout the country.
The regional Children and Nature Committee has created a catalog (“George Washington Regional Children and Nature Guide, Fall 2010″) that identifies a variety of outdoor locations and events that offer children (and their parents) an opportunity to experience the “great outdoors” at both permanent and seasonal events. This collection locations is mapped on a public website for area residents to find locations convenient or new to them throughout the region, with each site linked to more information about each site. Another project developed by the Committee is a “Passport to the Rappahannock” which describes both indoor and outdoor environmental learning activities for youth. As work continues to polish these resources, the Committee is exploring funding resources to publish these resources in sufficient numbers to supply them through the public and private school system. These interim publications can be accessed electronically with this link.
Pollution Prevention Practices for Hotels and Lodging Facilities
Hotels and other lodging facilities have literally dozens of opportunities to minimize their impact on the environment, just by making some simple, common-sense changes – and almost all of them can save your facility money!! Many facilities are already doing a lot of these, and don’t even think of them as helping the environment.
Take a few minutes to go through the items on the checklist below and indicate any of the methods that you are already utilizing. Let us know what you are doing, and we will help you let your customers know about the good things you are going for the environment.
