JEFFERSON AREA EASTERN PLANNING INITIATIVE 

Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission

A community-based 50-year vision for the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission (TJPDC) in Charlottesville, Virginia, the  Eastern Planning Initiative was funded by a Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Transportation, Community, and System Preservation (TCSP) grant included the City of Charlottesville and the Counties of Albemarle, Louisa, Fluvanna and Greene.

For the project, we developed the Community Oriented Regional Planning (CorPlan) model, now available from FHWA for use by communities nationwide.

CorPlan uses community prototypes that define the land use composition, building densities and socioeconomic characteristics of communities. These community elements become the “building blocks” for regional scenarios and plans. Using CorPlan, planners can model the influence of community design over walking and bicycle trips, and thus refine transit and auto travel projections

Through a process of visioning and scenario evaluation with the public, community leaders and elected officials, the TJPDC developed a 50-year plan for regional development and transportation improvements needed to support a sustainable land use pattern. Results of the study have been incorporated into local and regional land use and transportation plans.

The CorPlan model and the Charlottesville study have been frequently cited by the FHWA as a success story for the TCSP program.