The planning process begins with the issues, needs, and opportunities of a community, and resolves a way to take action. Local elected officials have the power to request the development of a Comprehensive Plan to drive positive change and enact regulations for their residents.

A Comprehensive Plan lays critical groundwork for compatible development with a vision for the future and specific action to get there. The Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (MPC), a guidebook for local government officials, lays the requisite framework for planning with consistency and conformity. Officials can expect successful progress in their communities with an enhanced awareness of the MPC requirements for plans, especially when it comes to shale gas development.

Catch this segment with Joy M. Ruff, AICP, Executive Director of Local Government Academy, and Corey Young, MCRP, Director of the Washington & Jefferson Center for Energy Policy and Management, as they discuss the importance of planning and preparing a Comprehensive Plan, the MPC, as well as how the Comprehensive Plan plays a role in ensuring compatible development and why municipalities experiencing shale development should plan.

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Joy M. Ruff, AICP, has more than 23 years of experience in municipal planning, community development, and public involvement that spans public, private, and non-profit sectors. Joy holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Pittsburgh and a M.A. in Communication Studies from California University of Pennsylvania. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners and has led planning and community engagement efforts across Pennsylvania focusing on issues of importance to local governments.

Corey Young, MCRP, became the Director of the Center for Energy Policy and Management in April 2016. Before coming to the CEPM, he worked as an urban planner in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. There, he worked closely with municipalities to develop long-range plans for growth and development. Corey earned his master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from Clemson University. His research interests include: transportation planning; the integration of energy generation, transmission, and consumption into comprehensive plans; and public finance.