Case Studies
New Hampshire Communities Discover the Need to Plan for Both Housing and Conservation
Envisioning and planning for both conservation and housing can yield positive outcomes and thriving communities.
Communities across New Hampshire are finding that it is possible to preserve their local character through critical land conservation, while still making enough land available to meet the growing demand for homes accessible to the average NH household.
Contrary to popular opinion, the recession has not fixed the affordability problem for many families seeking to purchase or rent a home. In addition, a lack of planning has yielded undesirable large-lot zoning with troubling consequences for New Hampshire‘s landscape.
The slowing of the economy has provided municipalities with the opportunity to prepare for future growth. The brief summaries below reflect the positive trend at the local level to proactively address town-friendly approaches to protecting natural resources while providing new housing that is affordable to people with a wide variety of incomes.
Visioning for Housing and Conservation in Chichester