In the last ten years, Indianapolis has embarked on a positive economic path with initiatives such as the “quality of life” plans, “great places” initiatives “neighborhood investment plan,” “inclusive growth strategies,” light rail transit and combating structural racism. Most community development practitioners agree that for the long-term success of a flourishing community, a pipeline of …

This September is National Preparedness Month (NPM). The Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) has committed to participate in NPM to increase preparedness throughout the U.S. The event, now in its fifteenth year, is a nationwide, month-long effort hosted by FEMA’s Ready Campaign, to promote family and community disaster and emergency planning now and throughout the …

Dear Purdue Extension Community Development Colleagues and Partners – This is my first full week serving as the Assistant Director and Program Leader for Community Development with Purdue Extension. I am excited about this opportunity to lead our Extension Program Area to new heights, while positively impacting Indiana residents and setting a national standard for …

Local Government Flood Policy Tool Kit FEMA defines localized flooding as “smaller scale flooding that can occur anywhere in a community.” Localized flooding is most common in areas with high groundwater or poorly drained soils, where urbanization and impervious surfaces have increased runoff or in older sections of communities where original storm sewers were not …

Urban Forestry Comprehensive Planning Guide Urban forestry is a program that invests in the future of the community. Your final plan should consider the biological, management and community needs in order to establish the best policies. Trees provide many benefits to communities. These can include aesthetic qualities, such as the beauty of flowers and fall …

Agritourism as a business model is growing in popularity as Indiana farmers recognize a need to diversify operations and supplement farm incomes. In addition, there is a growing public desire to engage in rural experiences and outdoor recreational activities. By combining agriculture and tourism, agritourism offers these experiences and activities while providing economic diversification to …

Importance of Indiana Agriculture More than 60% of Indiana’s land is devoted to agriculture production via 56,800 farms and 14.7 million acres. Today, most farms are not engaged in subsistence farming, meaning that fewer individuals interact with daily efforts associated with raising or growing agricultural products. Therefore, the appreciation of agriculture’s place within the larger …

Natural Resources and Community Health This section focuses on how a comprehensive plan can be used to provide opportunities for active living through deliberate planning policies and regulatory tools for parks, trails and open space. Identifying natural-resource assets in a community and planning for their use can also create economic development benefits. In this context, …

This section provides an introduction to basic concepts of economic development and how they are related to land use planning. These include asset-based economic development, the community balance sheet, and the three-legged stool. The focus then turns to common economic development goals for communities, and strategies for land use and local policy to consider when …

Purdue Extension and the Indiana Land Resources Council collaboratively developed this guidance document to support plan commission members as well as local government officials and staff — with resources and examples to integrate agriculture and natural resources into community land use planning efforts for developing or updating comprehensive plans. Each document in the series provides …