Land Use Committee (2012-2024)

Chairman: George Topoll, Union Township Trustee

Staff Contact: Eman Ibrahim, Planning Manager eibrahim@nirpc.org

NIRPC is dedicated to promoting tools and plans for sustainable, healthy growth in Northwest Indiana. NIRPC established a Land Use Committee in 2008 to begin assembling and analyzing land use data in preparation and implementation of the 2040 Comprehensive Regional Plan.

The purpose of the land use committee is to concentrate on regional land use planning that is predicated on a growing concern of regional sustainability by stakeholders and the need to focus on development from a regional perspective. The committee facilitates planning processes and partnerships that build links between jurisdictional boundaries.

Vision

Implement a strategy for regional land use planning by continuing to improve the collaboration of facilitated planning processes and partnerships that build links between jurisdictional boundaries.

Roles & Responsibilities

The role of the land use committee is to concentrate on regional land use planning that is based on a regional sustainability and the need to focus on development from a regional perspective.
The Committee provides advisory input to the NIRPC Board and other committees on existing and proposed regional plans, land use related projects and policies by:

• Providing the Board, Pathway to 2040 Implementation Committee, and other committees with guidance and knowledge that promote the integration of land use and transportation planning.
• Mobilizing the NWI region through coordinated leadership and a common vision to implement the 2040 plan.
• Understanding the long-term development trends, which will allow decision makers to assess the implications of past development patterns and evaluate whether those trends should be encouraged or whether there need to be policy changes to current developments.
• Encouraging local jurisdictions to understand recommendations from the regional plan and that their planning practices and decisions should be viewed in a broader framework that may have consequences influencing and affecting the region.
• Promoting an educational process that emphasize the importance and interdependency of regional issues related to the successful integration of land use and transportation planning such as environment, economic development, open space, water, public health, education, etc.
• Reviewing and validating population trends and forecast data.
• Developing and reviewing strategies from the Comprehensive Regional Plan.
• Coordinating and comprehensively looking at what other groups/ committees are undertaking.
• Promoting related-land use programs, strategies, and policies.
• Overseeing NIRPC’s related-land use/ transportation programs (Creating Livable Communities (CLC) – Livable Centers Initiatives (LCI).
• Continuing to review zoning and land use maps.
• Continuing to oversee regional comprehensive plan review/ update.