Three key planning principles developed in the 1970s by CARPC’s predecessor, the Dane County Regional Planning Commission, still inform our approach to regional planning today:
Concentrate development in and around existing communities served by a full range of urban services
including public water supply, sanitary sewer systems, police and fire protection, solid waste collection, stormwater management systems, parks and schools and transportation systems.
Establish a connected network of protected environmental and open space corridors
that includes natural resources requiring protection from disturbance and development and lands needed for open space and recreational use.
Establish preservation areas to protect productive agricultural land
by designating development areas to accommodate rural growth.
Following their debut in DCRPC’s 1973 Regional Land Use Plan, these concepts became embedded in federal and state legislation, including the Clean Water Act, the Wisconsin Farmland Preservation Program, and state regional planning statutes. Today, CARPC’s 2050 Regional Development Framework and Dane County Water Quality Plan build on the approach established by these efforts, while also incorporating smart growth principles, current priorities, and modern best practices.