It’s been nearly 30 years since Chester County leaders adopted Landscapes, the first comprehensive plan in the county’s history. The Landscapes plan was released in 1996, and it won awards for establishing a blueprint for planning policies to guide government decisions. The focus of Landscapes was to preserve the character of the county while concentrating commercial and residential growth in appropriate areas.

The county’s successes in managing growth and prioritizing preservation can be attributed to the original comprehensive plan and the two updates that followed—Landscapes2 and the current Landscapes3.

Chester County Parks + Preservation recently announced that an additional 1,240 acres of land were preserved in 2024. This was accomplished through partnerships with municipalities, conservancies and the state. 

As a result of the efforts in 2024, Chester County’s preserved land now covers more than 31 percent of the entire county. Kudos to Chester County officials for continuing to prioritize preservation and for remaining true to the vision of Landscapes over the last three decades.