FAQs

State code requires every county in Pennsylvania to prepare and adopt a comprehensive plan.

A comprehensive plan articulates a community’s shared vision for the long-range future. It also establishes goals and action steps to bring that vision to life. Undertaking this plan helps the county look ahead to the next 25 years, making strategic decisions about housing, jobs, transportation, parks, infrastructure, and more, anticipating how to best position to county to thrive in an ever-changing world. The plan coordinates across the 130 municipalities in Allegheny County to align local priorities and countywide goals.

Yes.

Allegheny County adopted its first and latest comprehensive plan, Allegheny Places, in 2008. Much has changed in the nearly two decades since. Crafting a new plan allows the county to take stock of today’s landscape and lay out a new set of priorities and action steps built on public input.

Allegheny County and the City of Pittsburgh are undertaking new comprehensive plans on similar timeframes, which allows exciting opportunities for alignment in both community engagement and strategy development. The city’s plan will guide policy and investment for Pittsburgh’s local government, whereas Allegheny Forward will guide at the county government level, providing a big picture for all 130 local governments within Allegheny County and strategies specific to the operations of county government.

The comprehensive plan will develop in step with the Climate Action Plan (CAP) that is also now underway. Whereas the comprehensive plan is more broad in scope as a long-range policy document that covers the full spectrum of Allegheny County’s growth and development, the CAP will be more issue-specific, providing a roadmap for county operations and community partners to reduce emissions, improve energy efficiency, and adapt to climate impacts.

The Mon Valley Forward: An Economic Development Strategy will serve as Allegheny County's primary framework for attracting business investment, creating and retaining quality jobs, supporting existing business growth, and building long-term economic competitiveness in the Mon Valley region. By linking the strategy for Mon Valley to Allegheny Forward, the county is making sure that the Mon Valley is at the center of the county’s economic future, not on the sidelines.

The plan will take into account what Allegheny County can and cannot do as a county government, by contrast to what happens at the local government level. Allegheny County plays a central, yet sometimes behind-the-scenes, role in how the Greater Pittsburgh region grows. Primarily, the county adopts legislation; manages assets (infrastructure, property, facilities, equipment); operates programs (housing, human services, etc.); provides resources (funds, technical assistance); builds capacity; and convenes conversation.

It's still the early stages of the planning process – and input is needed from as many people as possible! The more inclusive the plan is, the stronger and more vital it will be, giving current and future elected officials confidence that it faithfully represents what people living and working here want to see happen. 

People can get involved by submitting feedback and ideas through the tools and surveys on this page, sign up for e-mail updates, and stay tuned for ways to get involved in shaping how the plan addresses each of the key issues at its core.