A few months ago we described our efforts to develop the Local Plans Database, a searchable compilation of goals, objectives, actions and strategies gathered from 82 local planning documents created to make accessing information in these plans fast and simple. We are pleased to announce that the database is now available on our website! Now anyone can use this tool to quickly search for all kinds of information, including community goals for affordable housing, funding and incentives for energy efficiency, strategies to protect biodiversity, design standards for trails and bike paths, and much more. Looking for information about a particular plan? The database even allows users to specify which planning documents they want to search.

The website includes a tutorial on using the database and a document linking to the plans that are available online. For those who are interested, we will be offering a free, hands-on tutorial in conjunction with Charlottesville Tomorrow at CitySpace on Monday, July 30. Take the database for a test drive today and let us know what you think!