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Delaware Planning Update

Latest Population Projections Released

According to the latest Delaware Population Consortium projections, Delaware’s population will grow by an estimated 22 percent between 2006 and 2030, gaining slightly more than 189,000 persons to reach an expected population of just over 1.04 million in 2030. The 2006 projections estimate a slight increase in total population over the 2005 projections and continue to project the slight shift of population growth from New Castle to Kent County. Projected population for Sussex County is also up slightly from the 2005 projections. The 2006 version of the 30-year population and employment projections for the state, counties, and selected municipalities is available online at stateplanning.delaware.gov/information/dpc_projections.shtml.

Planning and Economic Development Projects Completed

IPA’s planning services team recently completed work on projects for the Town of Odessa and the Brandywine Village community of Wilmington. IPA worked with Odessa’s planning commission and council to update their 2001 comprehensive plan. The newly updated and state-certified plan addresses a variety of zoning, environmental, and annexation topics with the aim of helping to preserve and enhance Odessa’s historic, small-town character.

The planning services team recently completed a market analysis for Greater Brandywine Village Revitalization, Inc. (GBVR). Brandywine Village is a Delaware’s Main Street community, and a project undertaken to fulfill the Economic Restructuring component of the Main Street Four-Point Approach. The study focused on consumer- spending patterns and the current mix of businesses in the Brandywine Village area in order to develop a sustainable, market-driven plan for the development of new retail and service opportunities in the community.

For more information on these projects, you may contact IPA’s Planning Services Manager, Martin Wollaston, at martinw@udel.edu or 302-831-4930.

For more information contact Julia O'Hanlon at 302-831-6224.