Get Smart Growth: New Publication Promotes Resource Protection in Indiana

Posted June 1st, 2009 in News, Sustainable Community Planning

Planning with POWER’s latest publication—Smart Growth and Protection of Natural Resources in Indiana—responds to a problem persistent in urban and residential development in Indiana as well as other states.

“Local land use planning in the past has not incorporated natural resources,” said POWER project leader Robert McCormick. “Typically, housing is scattered in a sprawled fashion without regard to environmental impacts. As a result, we have seriously degraded our water and other natural resources.”

The goal of smart growth—an idea promoted by the U.S. EPA Smart Growth Network (SGN) in 1996—is to protect communities’ natural resources and improve the quality of life in neighborhoods through mixed-use development, transportation accessibility, and protection of open spaces.

With help from Planning with POWER, smart growth development is already underway in Porter County and is under consideration in a handful of other Indiana counties. POWER’s new publication provides details on smart growth development in Indiana and outlines methods for implementation, including SGN’s “Ten Principles of Smart Growth.”

Planning with Power—a statewide educational program that links land use planning with watershed planning at the local level—is coordinated by Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant and Purdue University Extension. The project is designed to empower communities to prevent and solve natural resource problems resulting from changing land use in growing watersheds and to empower local officials to incorporate watershed protection measures into comprehensive land use plans.

For more information or to download the publication, visit Planning with Power or contact Robert McCormick at 765-494-3627.

IISG Instagram

Register Now for HASTI 2026! The early bird registration rate expires tomorrow!

We’re excited to be presenting The Watershed Game at the conference. The game is a hands-on activity that helps educators and students explore water quality, land use, and community decision-making.

✅ Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with fellow educators and bring new tools to your classroom!
📅 Event Details & Registration at the link in bio.

6 0
Open post by ilinseagrant with ID 17885439465422924
Register Now for HASTI 2026! The early bird registration rate expires tomorrow!We’re excited to be presenting The Watershed Game at the conference. The game is a hands-on activity that helps educators and students explore water quality, land use, and community decision-making.✅ Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with fellow educators and bring new tools to your classroom!📅 Event Details & Registration at the link in bio.

Keeping on top of your farm finances can be a daunting task, but knowing what numbers to track, what the numbers mean, when to spend, and when to save can be critical for the long-term health of your aquaculture business finances.

This webinar series will provide you with an overview of practical information for managing your farm’s finances. All webinars begin at 12pm ET. Registrants will be sent a webinar recording. All recordings will be added to a YouTube playlist on Ohio Sea Grant and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant YouTube pages.

Learn more at the link in bio.

2 0
Open post by ilinseagrant with ID 18086606177002403
Keeping on top of your farm finances can be a daunting task, but knowing what numbers to track, what the numbers mean, when to spend, and when to save can be critical for the long-term health of your aquaculture business finances. This webinar series will provide you with an overview of practical information for managing your farm’s finances. All webinars begin at 12pm ET. Registrants will be sent a webinar recording. All recordings will be added to a YouTube playlist on Ohio Sea Grant and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant YouTube pages.Learn more at the link in bio.

Educators—this is for you!
Unlock the potential of Great Lakes education with the latest issue of the Center for Great Lakes Literacy newsletter. Explore exciting opportunities like vessel-based learning, an aquaculture competition, and classroom-ready resources on maritime heritage, harmful algal blooms, invasive species, and more!

Learn more at the link in bio.

6 0
Open post by ilinseagrant with ID 17992595087736811
Educators—this is for you!Unlock the potential of Great Lakes education with the latest issue of the Center for Great Lakes Literacy newsletter. Explore exciting opportunities like vessel-based learning, an aquaculture competition, and classroom-ready resources on maritime heritage, harmful algal blooms, invasive species, and more!Learn more at the link in bio.