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Old Posted Dec 1, 2017, 3:34 PM
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Young Gun Young Gun is offline
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Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Harrisburg PA
Posts: 513
Quote:
Originally Posted by ePlanningPhila View Post
I agree. Central PA has so much potential, but there is so much competition amongst each municipality in the region. AOL founder Stave Case held a Rise of the Rest tour in Harrisburg this fall, and commented Central PA, indeed has all the assets of a 1.2 Million person metro to make it great, but it is so disenfranchised that it does not capture its potential.

We really need some regional leaders to form a coalition to share cost of services, and also share cost of benefits with one another. This way a more regional mindset can be developed, and in terms of economic development better planning can be implemented, especially in targeting more cohesive and strategic land use planning.

The sprawl of the region is really starting to cut out quality of life and add a negative.

I also think there is huge potential for leaders to partner with Penn State, State College, and establish a tech/entrepreneurial incubator in Harrisburg. The Harrisburg metro is the closest, sizable/significant metro to PSU, and there is tremendous opportunity with Economic Development on that front.

Also the region desperately needs to improve public transit. First implementing some Bus Rapid Transit lines, and some TOD development would be a huge start. The region will continue to become more attractive as cost of living continues to increase in NYC, DC and Philadelphia. In the past young leaders would seek better opportunities in those cities, because they were so close to Harrisburg.

But now that they are not as sustainable in terms of living, Harrisburg really has a chance to live out its potential.
There is TOD being planned around the Train station. In conjunction with improving Market Square the Central Train Station will be moved to the HTC.

The empty parking lots to the East of the train station are in the planning to be redeveloped. Remaking lost street grid, Paxton Creek Greening etc. As with most things involving HBG. The state has their fingers in it so it may take a bit.
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