As urban growth continues to accelerate throughout the country, communities are engaging in more complex and detailed planning efforts. Cities, towns, counties, and state government agencies are working cooperatively on regional planning efforts to optimize land use and to share resources. Clarion Associates' expertise in facilitating and coordinating regional planning efforts is recognized throughout the country. Clarion's expertise includes: Development of community separator/corridor plans Regional corridor plans Regional growth management strategies Citizen participation strategies Plan implementation strategies Clarion has developed regional plans for the following communities: Adams County, Colorado; Southern Nevada Regional Planning Coalition; Northern Colorado I-25 Corridor Plan; Regional Land Use and Transportation Plan, Flagstaff, Arizona; Northern Colorado Regional Planning Study. Following are brief descriptions of just a few of the regional plans we've helped to develop: Plan for the Region Between Two Cities, Larimer County, Colorado As the cities of Fort Collins and Loveland grew toward each other during the 1990s, community members wanted to ensure that the cities would not merge in undefined sprawl. Clarion Associates worked with residents to develop a land-use plan and implementation strategy for the corridor of agricultural land between the two cities. Eventually, thousands of acres were set aside in the corridor providing expansive open space, and helping each city maintain its own identity. Client: Larimer County, City of Fort Collins, City of Loveland Northern Colorado Regional Planning Study, Larimer and Weld counties In the late 1990s, leaders in the Northern Colorado communities of Berthoud, Evans, Fort Collins, Greeley, Loveland, Milliken, Wellington, and Windsor, as well as Larimer and Weld counties, started discussing the desired future of the region. These discussions reinforced the need for regional planning and coordination between counties and communities. To aid the planning effort, Clarion Associates studied a variety of issues, including: natural areas of regional significance; identification of opportunities for community separators; and planning and growth management policies of each community to determine compatibility for meeting regional land-use objectives. Client: Northern Colorado Communities Southern Nevada Regional Plan, Las Vegas Clarion Associates was retained to produce a regional plan and growth management strategy for the Las Vegas Valley, the fastest growing region in the nation. Mandated by the state legislature, the regional plan addresses transportation, land use, air quality, infill development, public services, and infrastructure. Working closely with the Regional Planning Coalition comprised of elected officials from five jurisdictions in the valley, Clarion Associates crafted a plan that focuses on implementation and assures compliance with state law. The team also defined a process to review developments of regional significance, another feature of the state rules. Clarion is currently in the process of overseeing compliance review for all of the plans and development ordinances of the local governments within the plan area. Client: Southern Nevada Regional Planning Coalition