THE FUTURE IS NOW

Development. Technology. Climate change. Equity. The future is coming at us faster than ever before, and the Lehigh Valley is in position to lead the way. FutureLV: The Regional Plan sets the vision and direction to carry this region to 2045 and beyond.

Seven decades of uncommon growth and a unique identity—built on a foundation of beautiful natural resources, a strong workforce and close access to almost anything anyone could want—has created a prime opportunity to compete in the global economy.

The region’s town centers can be the focus of new growth, while its historic, cultural and natural assets remain a selling point for people and businesses looking for a high quality of life. An already-robust transportation system is poised to become the multimodal network of the future, connecting walkable and bikeable neighborhoods, workers and job centers.

But getting there will require overcoming the challenges of balancing growth against preservation and bringing about profound change, while resources remain limited.

This plan provides a blueprint for managing future growth, making the most of our assets and creating a Lehigh Valley where everyone has access to health, opportunity and a livable neighborhood.

PLAN INTERRELATIONSHIPS

Lehigh Valley Planning Commission and Lehigh Valley Transportation Study are committed to and FutureLV: The Regional Plan supports and reinforces:

Authority to Develop a Comprehensive Vision, Goals, Policies, Actions and to Invest in the Lehigh Valley

This bi-county comprehensive plan and long-range transportation plan were developed in accordance with state and federal laws and are intended to comply with applicable laws, rules, regulations, executive orders, policies, guidelines and requirements.

A Single Region and Plan

FutureLV: The Regional Plan establishes a single comprehensive plan for the community. This plan is innovative because it merges the land use, community, economic, natural resources, agricultural, historic preservation, housing, utilities and community facilities planning of the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission with the transportation planning and investment of the Lehigh Valley Transportation Study. The combined effort creates a balanced and forward-thinking series of strategies that will lead the Lehigh Valley into the future, while addressing the needs of today.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

THANK YOU

To the many citizens, community leaders, municipal partners and stakeholders who helped develop this Plan. FutureLV: The Regional Plan would not have been possible without their time, commitment, input and passion for making a great region even better.

PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN

How important will the following planning issues be over the next ten years?

In March and April of 2018, a survey given online and through the mail reached every corner of the Lehigh Valley. The 31-question survey asked residents about their likes, dislikes and ideas for the future. It gave us a window into who we are and how people view our future. Here’s a sample of what people think:

OVERVIEW

The Lehigh Valley is a community with an old world soul and new economy innovation—an uncommon combination that’s made it one of Pennsylvania’s fastest-growing regions.

While its extensive trail network, rolling farm fields and historic sites are what residents say keeps them here, more than 1,000 miles of waterways, 123 natural heritage sites and many cultural attractions have made the region number one in the state for tourists on recreation visits.

Its natural assets are the kind that can’t be found in the big metros, yet a key to its success rests with its location within commuting distance of New York City, Philadelphia and

Washington D.C. It’s close enough to experience the best that the world’s largest metros have to offer, yet far enough away to develop its own unique identity—one built on balance.

The historic character of Bethlehem, Catasauqua and Easton are balanced by Allentown’s contemporary downtown rebirth, as the rust veneer of the century-old SteelStacks concert venue is balanced by the shine of the Tower 6 office complex. While the region’s three cities and 27 boroughs evolve into a new period of urbanism, the farmland that’s helped define its agricultural economy is accented by an eclectic mix of crossroads villages.

More than 300 miles of pathways, which include the D&L and Appalachian trails, are balanced by a highway network that provides easy access to much of the Northeast, the Jersey Shore and the Port of New York and New Jersey. The weekend warriors who have long used the expanding trail network are increasingly being joined by people using it to commute.

Ultimately, the region’s diverse population of native residents, who value a history that began before the American Revolution, is balanced by waves of newcomers who have been adding more than 4,000 people a year for seven decades. Many arrive to find that their search for more attainable housing and a greater sense of community can end in a place where they can aspire for more.

A result of that steady growth is a resilient economy driven by education, healthcare, manufacturing, retail sales and an arts and culture industry that adds more than $200 million to the local economy, while attracting more than 15 million visitors a year.

Thousands of acres of former manufacturing sites have been repurposed into modern industrial and business parks occupied by nearly 500 companies, while 16 colleges, universities and technical schools prepare a new generation of workers for a future that will require everyone to be lifelong learners.

Now, the Lehigh Valley is well-positioned to embrace a future of profound change by enhancing its historic core and nurturing its economic and cultural strengths, while maintaining the balance that’s made it a destination for so many searching for a higher quality of life.

Doing that will require embracing our farming industry and preserving our environment by directing inevitable growth toward existing population and job centers, designing a transportation network focused on moving people—not simply vehicles—and maintaining a strong economy by training the workforce of tomorrow.

GROWING

The Lehigh Valley is one of the fastest-growing regions in Pennsylvania, with a projected 24% population increase by the year 2045. This growth is largely driven by the migration of people into the region, as more workers and families are attracted to the Valley for its natural and historic character, high quality of life, affordability and convenient location. As the region grows, the demographics are shifting. People older than 65 will have the most significant increase as our population ages, while children and young adults under 20 are expected to increase as a growing number of families flock to the region.

The Lehigh Valley has been growing more diverse as well, particularly over the past three decades. The minority population has become a more significant part of the community, growing from 8% of the population in 1990 to 18% in 2017, with Hispanic, Black and Native American populations each doubling between 2000 and 2010.

Employment in the Lehigh Valley is projected to increase by 17% before the year 2045. Many of the region’s fastest-growing occupations are in the healthcare, manufacturing, warehousing, recreation, and technical and professional service industries. Its close proximity to major metropolitan areas has helped make the Lehigh Valley one of the busiest freight corridors in the nation. As technology improves and people live longer, there is an increasing need for healthcare professionals. The occupation of home health aide is expected to experience the biggest growth among Lehigh Valley jobs, with a 30% employment increase by 2045.

Generational Growth

The Lehigh Valley has seen steady population growth since after World War II, and for several decades the Baby Boom Generation has dominated the region’s demographic make-up. That will change in the coming decades as Generation Z becomes the most populous generation in the history of the Lehigh Valley, with nearly 220,000 members by 2045, easily surpassing the current total of 173,694 Baby Boomers who live in the region. The trajectory of the region’s population projections suggest a high amount of in-migration of Millennials and Generation X members. Both are expected to grow steadily, bringing balance and stability to the Lehigh Valley’s overall population in the coming decades.

Consistent, sustainable growth has added an average of more than 4,000 new residents a year to the Lehigh Valley for seven decades. However, the latest projections expect the region to grow by closer to 6,000 residents a year over the next 25 years. That will force municipal, business, government and planning leaders to make innovative choices about how to manage all the new growth, without detracting from the assets that have made the region so attractive to new residents and businesses.

FutureLV: The Regional Plan is created to support the current and future population, businesses, environment and culture of the Lehigh Valley. We know that many global and national megatrends will disrupt the region as we know it today. Some are already changing the way we live, such as on-demand and shared services like Uber and Airbnb. Others, like vehicle automation and blockchain, are evolving rapidly and will have a larger impact on our individual lives, government and business functions in the mid- and long-term. These current and future forces will substantially change the physical and regulatory landscape of the Lehigh Valley, altering how we work, consume goods and services, and compete in the global marketplace. They’ll change how we view our communities, our quality of life and ultimately ourselves. These factors will reshape who we are as a region by having a profound effect on all aspects of our lives. These societal disruptors are not entirely known, but where possible, these future forces have been outlined and underpin the goals, policies and actions of the plan. Your future begins now.

We are in the midst of the 4th Industrial Revolution

Goal Themes

In exploring the plan, these themes provide the connective tissue between the goals, policies and actions.