Forward Together: Five County Economic Recovery and Resiliency Plan

Moving 'Forward Together' Toward Economic Recovery and Resiliency in the Adirondacks

LaBella recently worked with the Lake Champlain-Lake George Regional Planning Board (LCLGRPB) to develop an Economic Resiliency Plan for the five-county region in New York comprised of Clinton, Essex, Hamilton, Warren, and Washington counties.

Titled Forward Together, the plan focuses on understanding the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the region’s economy, identifying forward-looking strategies for the region’s businesses, and establishing how the region can seize market opportunities that have emerged in the last year.

Key areas of focus within the plan include addressing the region’s workforce housing shortage, improving infrastructure to meet the need of current and future residents and businesses, attracting and retaining workforce, and supporting and broadening the region’s spirit of entrepreneurship.

The plan includes a robust demographic and economic profile evaluation of the region’s infrastructure needs, workforce, and employment sectors in Healthcare, Agriculture, Tourism and Hospitality, Retail and Restaurants, and Manufacturing. Recommendations are organized and focused on improved connectivity, childcare access, housing access and stability, main streets as economic centers, and entrepreneurism.

The entire Economic Resiliency Plan is available here.

 

 

Forward Together Initiative

Check out the video at right to hear what Beth Gilles, Director of the Lake Champlain-Lake George Regional Planning Board, has to say about the Economic Resiliency Plan for Clinton, Essex, Hamilton, Warren, and Washington counties in New York State.

You can also learn more about the Forward Together Initiative here.

An Award-Winning Project

2024 APA New York Upstate Award—Implementation Category

Each year, the New York Upstate Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA) recognizes outstanding planning efforts across the region. At this year’s Annual Conference, held in October 2024, LaBella was honored to receive a 2024 APA New York Upstate Chapter Award for the Forward Together: Five County Economic Recovery and Resiliency Plan project in the Implementation category.