The Department of Commerce’s Community Planning Program assists local governments with a mission of helping build communities for a better future through land use planning, facilitation, and training services. Assistance is provided through five regional offices located throughout the state.
REGIONAL OFFICES
To request services please contact the office nearest you. For an interactive map of regional service areas click here.
To Visit a regional office's home page click on the office name below.
Asheville - Western Regional Office
Karen Smith, Chief Planner (828) 251-6914
ksmith@nccommerce.com
Fayetteville (Wilmington) - Southeastern Regional Office
Vagn Hansen, Chief Planner (910) 829-6384
vhansen@nccommerce.com
Raleigh - Central Regional Office
John Morck, Chief Planner (919) 733-2850
jmorck@nccommerce.com
Washington - Northeastern Regional Office
Lee Padrick, Chief Planner (252) 974-1308
lpadrick@nccommerce.com
Winston-Salem - Piedmont Regional Office
Darren Rhodes, Chief Planner (336) 761-2148
drhodes@nccommerce.com
SERVICES
TOOLS and RESOURCES
The Community Planning Program has created the following tools to aid local governments in their long-range planning efforts:
Land Development Planning Guidelines for North Carolina Local Governments
Co-developed with the Center of Urban and Regional Studies at UNC-Chapel, these guidelines help define the components of a local land use plan, emphasizing protection of local and regional water quality and providing a broad community and regional context for planning issues. 
Land Development Planning Guidelines
Designing Better Places
This series of presentations on urban design produced by the Community Planning Program was winner of the 2005 Award for Excellence from the Small Town & Rural Planning Division of the American Planning Association.
Designing Better Places
Making Buildings Fit
Recreating Neighborhoods: Putting the Pieces Together
There is no copyright on the script or the pictures--people are welcome to adapt either or both for their own use however they see fit. The CD is available from the Western Regional Office. For more information contact Ginny Faust, Senior Planner at (828) 251-6914.
LINKS
NCAPA - North Carolina Chapter American Planning Association
UNC School of Government