Introduction

PennSCAPEs is rooted in the recent updates to the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (MPC), which now includes a “traditional neighborhood development” (TND) section. Because of the important opportunity that the MPC's new TND section provides, PennSCAPEs specifically focuses on increasing people’s awareness and understanding about how to create walkable neighborhoods – compact development that is sensitive to a site’s environmental features, while also providing housing and transportation choices and usable open space.

PennSCAPEs was developed by the Hamer Center for Community Design Assistance at Penn State’s School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. A faculty team of architects, landscape architects and planners created PennSCAPEs as a richly-illustrated multimedia program for neighborhood planning and design. PennSCAPEs is a provocative education and empowerment tool--made accessible to elected officials, developers and citizens to learn about community design strategies that promote smart growth and healthy lifestyles. PennSCAPEs is also a policy tool for municipal staff and professionals to utilize model ordinances related to neighborhood design and development. The intent is to give municipalities the flexibility to adopt an entire neighborhood code or portions of the code, depending on the local context.

The Pennsylvania State University is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to programs, facilities, admission and employment without regard to personal characteristics not related to ability, performance, or qualifications as determined by University policy or by state or federal authorities. It is the policy of the University to maintain an academic and work environment free of discrimination, including harassment. The Pennsylvania State University prohibits discrimination and harassment against any person because of age, ancestry, color, disability or handicap, national origin, race, religious creed, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status. Discrimination or harassment against faculty, staff or students will not be tolerated at The Pennsylvania State University.

The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection