1.0 INTRODUCTION Project Overview + Purpose
• A resource to pursue funding and implementation of public improvement projects • A catalyst to build long-term partnerships among the participating entities and outside agencies that have been engaged in the planning (e.g. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT))
After four years of working collaboratively to address community concerns related to community economic viability, development patterns, traffic, and placemaking, community leaders from Indiana County, White Township, the Borough of Indiana (Borough), and Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) committed to work together to prepare a plan to guide the future development of the area surrounding the IUP campus. To assist in the planning and urban design aspects of the project, this coalition of stakeholders retained the services of SmithGroupJJR, a multi-disciplinary firm of designers and planners from Michigan. The study area, dubbed the Indiana Community University District (District), focused on the areas around the IUP campus on the Wayne Avenue/7th Street and Oakland Avenue corridors, from Indian Springs Road to Philadelphia Street (refer to Figure 2. Existing Land Use). These corridors function to move people into and from campus and downtown. They also provide for many of the housing, retail and service oriented business needs of students and long tenure residents of the community. This study provides recommendations for physical improvements to the publicly owned rights-of-way and open spaces. It also provides planning guidance for the development of the land along the corridors and the area between campus and downtown Indiana. • A guiding master plan driven by community input • An implementation plan for the District which can be built over time • A strategy for implementation with specific measurable benchmarks • A guide for encouraging desired development patterns and setting public investment priorities The District Partners (Indiana County, White Township, the Borough, and IUP) noted above have all contributed to this effort and plan to use the Indiana Community University District Master Plan to suit their specific needs. In general, the Master Plan can be used as: • A guide to update comprehensive master plans or campus master plans, as applicable • A source to incorporate key ideas into the White Township Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance (SALDO) • A source to incorporate key ideas into the Borough zoning ordinance. The Indiana Community University District Master Plan contains a broad set of recommendations, including:
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