Reflecting on 5 Years of Landscapes3: Appreciating and Living in Chester County
Posted July 19, 2024
We continue to highlight the achievements of Landscapes3 over the last five years and look forward to the next five years through the plan's six goal areas.
Last month, we discussed the first two goals — Preserve and Protect — and this month we're focusing on Live and Appreciate!
With so much history in Chester County it's no doubt that that the Appreciate goal has been fulfilled in a variety of ways. For starters, the county has been working diligently to expand heritage tourism programs over the last few years through initiatives like the America250PA Chester County Commission, an ongoing heritage tourism plan, new interpretation sites highlighting Quaker Abolitionists and the Underground Railroad, and the Brandywine Battlefield Heritage Interpretation and Connectivity Plan.
Village Preservation Guide
While these initiatives are very much publicized, there's also work being done behind the scenes to help set the stage and enhance the historical record of the county. Just recently, the county's Archives and Record Services department digitized their records, making them much easier to access and organize. Additionally, the Chester County History Center (formerly Chester County Historical Society) was purchased by the county with a new permanent gallery installation titled "Becoming Chester County".
On the brick-and-mortar side of Appreciate, the county has been promoting adaptive reuse and compatible development to help preserve our historical buildings and land. The Village Preservation Guide, CCPC's adaptive reuse eTool, and other resources have helped municipalities such as East Bradford, Kennett Square, Pennsbury, West Goshen, and Phoenixville update their adaptive reuse standards.
When it comes to the Live goal, there have been many initiatives to help enhance the day-to-day livability of those who live in (and around) Chester County. With so much new development, the county has provided housing policy and ordinance assistance to municipalities through efforts like the online county-wide housing opportunities map, case studies of affordably priced homes, the A+ Homes initiative, and partnerships with the Department of Community Development and county Housing Authority.
The Chester County Health Department has also amped up their services by promoting impactful public health policy and services. During the COVID pandemic, the county provided assistance to neighboring Delaware County; and more recently, they've taken on efforts to reduce lead-based paint as well as West Nile Virus from mosquito bites.
Lastly (though probably the most important to many), the county has significantly enhanced and expanded its recreational opportunities over the last five years. This includes the addition of 447 acres to municipal parks and 504 acres added to county and other parks; the designation of Big Elk Creek State Park as a national state park; and the protection of 1,505 acres of the Bryn Coed Farm preserved through Natural Lands and West Vincent Township.
While those are just some highlights of Appreciate and Live, be sure to check out more through CCPC's Landscapes3 Assessment website — and stay tuned for Prosper and Connect next month!