Chester County Trail Planning Series Receives APA PA Award
Posted November 18, 2025
We're proud to share that the Chester County Planning Commision received an award from the American Planning Association's PA Chapter for the Chester County Trail Planning Series at their annual conference held in Harrisburg on October 12-14.
As noted in APA PA's press release, "The committee recognized the Chester County Trail Planning Series as a comprehensive and inclusive effort that goes well beyond traditional trail planning. By weaving together multiple plans into a cohesive vision, and by engaging a broad range of communities and partners, the series sets a strong foundation for long-term success."
The Trail Planning Series is comprised of four coordinated plans — the Chester Valley Trail Extension to Downingtown, Chester Valley Trail West, Southern Chester County Circuit Trail, and the Chester County Trails Master Plan.
The release also notes, "Together, these plans not only fulfill the Landscapes3 Connect goal of linking communities through trails, but also contribute to the regional Circuit Trails network and the Schuylkill to Susquehanna Statewide Major Greenway. Each plan was grounded in extensive public engagement, including multilingual outreach, interactive mapping, and strong partnerships with municipalities, nonprofits, and community advocates."
The award committee also noted that they were especially impressed by how quickly the work has moved from planning to implementation, with tangible progress already underway.
The award was accepted by CCPC's current Executive Director Matt Edmond, Multimodal Transportation Planning Director Brian Styche, and Trails Planner Steve Buck.
Great job team, and thank you to all who contributed to this success!
Brian Styche and Steve Buck will be delivering a presentation in early 2026 as part of the PA Chapter's "Webinar Wednesday's" on lessons learned from the development of these plans.