Community Planning and Zoning

Main Street Resource Cafe

Documents

• Planning for Downtown Development [PDF 252KB]
Information and tools for citizen planners. A brief written by GrowSmart Maine.
• Walk the Walk to Get the Lay of the Land [PDF 180KB]
Tips on how to get the complete feel of a downtown, its potential, and how to invite critical feedback.
• Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code: Summary of the New Law [PDF 34KB]
A law passed in 2008 will uniformly change energy and building codes in Maine in 2010. See the Maine State Planning Office website (below) for more information.
• Downtown Revitalization: Is Your Zoning Helping or Hindering It? [PDF 248KB]
Short article on downtown zoning in municipalities.
• Burlington Police Department: Downtown Team [PDF 57KB]
Downtown police strategy from Burlington, Vermont, which could be used as a template in Maine.

Additional External Links

• State Planning Office
The State Planning Office is part of the Executive Department. SPO provides planning assistance, policy development, program management, and technical assistance to build a sustainable future for Maine's communities, businesses, and residents.
• History of Maine Uniform Building and Energy Codes
• Maine Historic Preservation Planning Commission
  Maine-specific information about local preservation planning.
• American Planning Association
Membership organization that provides education, events, resources, and job information in planning.
• GrowSmart Maine
An organization that promotes and encourages new ideas and new ways of thinking about the future, including the need for wiser use of limited resources, whether they are taxes, historic buildings, or wildlands.