Our Mission
The Mission of the CVPDC is to...
- to be a dynamic public forum for matters of regional significance;
- to create solutions by coordinating plans and building coalitions; and,
- to provide service excellence to our localities and to the Commonwealth.
What is the work of the CVPDC?
The CVPDC is established under section 15.2-4200 of the Code of Virginia as one of 21 planning districts which serve the local governments of the Commonwealth. The CVPDC works to provide services for member localities and identify and develop opportunities for coordination among the region's local governments. Additionally, the CVPDC encourages and facilitates collaboration among local governments in addressing challenges and opportunities of greater-than-local significance.
Areas where the CVPDC is active in the region include:
The purpose of planning district commissions, as set out in the Code of Virginia, Section 15.2-4207, is
"...to encourage and facilitate local government cooperation and state-local cooperation in addressing, on a regional basis, problems of greater than local significance. The cooperation resulting from this chapter is intended to facilitate the recognition and analysis of regional opportunities and take account of regional influences in planning and implementing public policies and services.
The planning district commission shall also promote the orderly and efficient development of the physical, social and economic elements of the district by planning, and encouraging and assisting localities to plan for the future."
Virginia's PDCs provide a variety of technical and program services to member local governments. They include grant application assistance, management services for program implementation, land use planning services and mapping. The merging of mapping and information services has created the field of geographic information systems, where PDC's often lead the way. Transportation planning is another role for PDCs, who may deal with highway development, ridesharing, airport planning, and specialized transit.
For the Commonwealth, PDCs serve as an accessible network that gives quick and complete statewide coverage. Each serves as the Affiliate State Data Center for the region. In this role they provide important information to businesses as well as citizens. PDCs are the regional contact for the Commonwealth Intergovernmental Review Process and provide input for a host of agencies and commissions.
The program work of PDCs has been meeting the needs of local and state government for the last 30 years. Within their region they may serve to build regional approaches to issues like economic development, solid waste management and legislative priorities. In other states, organizations like PDCs are known as regional councils, regional commissions, and councils of government.
One important duty of the PDC's is to create a strategic plan for their region of service. This plan is created in cooperation with local governments, businesses, citizen organizations, and other interested parties. The plan is intended to help promote the orderly and efficient development of the PDC by stating goals and objectives, strategies to meet those goals, and mechanisms for measuring progress.
