From GroWNC:

GroWNC is a listening and planning process to develop regional and local strategies for economic prosperity, quality growth, and sustainable development. Working in the five county region of Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Madison, and Transylvania counties, the GroWNC project team will work with a Consortium of local governments, non-profit organizations, and businesses to seek significant input from residents of the region, gather existing and historical data, and synthesize it to create a vision of the future.

Together we will draw on existing plans and strategies to develop a plan to foster economic prosperity through a regional vision that identifies implementable projects and actions. Won't you join us?

Workgroup Launch Meeting: Thursday, January 19, 2011, 10:00 am, at AB Tech, Enka Campus, Haynes Conference Center

GroWNC, Western North Carolina’s Livable Communities Initiative, is a 3-year project to develop regional and local strategies for economic prosperity, quality growth, and sustainable development. A Consortium of local governments, non-profit organizations, and businesses will seek significant input from residents of the region, gather existing and historical data, and synthesize it to create a vision of the future. Together we will draw on existing plans and strategies to develop a plan to foster economic prosperity through a regional vision that identifies implementable projects and actions. The project will include significant public outreach and involvement.

GroWNC will allow local governments, businesses, non-profits, citizens, and others to realize unprecedented regional coordination on jobs, energy, housing, transportation, resources, and other interconnected issues. This will foster more prosperous, livable communities in our region through new quality jobs, new investment, diverse economic development strategies, energy and financial savings, and carbon emission reductions.

During the three-year project, the Consortium will work together to gather public input and weave together existing plans and strategies across topic areas in the Local Livability Framework (see below). Workgroups for each topic area listed below will convene to identify challenges and opportunities, review existing plans and strategies, and integrate public input into their findings.

GroWNC is funded by a grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), through the Sustainable Communities Initiative. GroWNC is not about starting from scratch. It will draw on significant work that has already been accomplished in the region, weaving together existing plans with public involvement. GroWNC is not a central authority over the region's local governments, but instead a way for the region to identify common goals and objectives that can be attained by working together.

Land-of-Sky Regional Council was asked by area local governments to serve as the grant administrator and coordinating agency for GroWNC, also known as the WNC Livable Communities Initiative.

For more information about the project, point your web browser to http://www.gro-wnc.org, call us at 828-251-6622, or email grownc@landofsky.org .