Orton Family Foundation funds Pathways to Planning

The Orton Family Foundation in Rutland, Vermont, helped the Vermont Forum on Sprawl create “Pathways to Planning,” a web-based tool that helps people assess conditions in their communities and figure out how to act against sprawl. “Our hope is that this tool will be applicable in any state (or region),” says Karen Yacos, community planning and practices program manager for the foundation. “It was designed so that it can be modified to meet the needs of a variety of users (from people with a rural focus, as presently designed, to those working in the urban arena).” Yacos says she is “intrigued by how the tool could be used to advance new urban principles.” As a precursor to “Pathways to Planning,” the foundation developed the Smart Growth Scorecard, a booklet that was tested in Vermont and modified for use in Colorado. Planning commission members and others use the scorecard to determine how well a community is prepared for growth and for shaping development. The Pathways tool can be found at www.vtsprawl.org. The foundation is at www.orton.org. u