GLOSSARY OF PLANNINGTERMS
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Floodplain
An area of land adjacent to
a stream or river that experiences
flooding during periods of high discharge.
It includes the floodway, which consists of
the stream channel and adjacent areas that
actively carry flood flows downstream, and
the flood fringe, which are areas inundated
by the flood, but which do not experience a
strong current.
Form Based Zoning
A zoning code which fosters predictable
built results and a high-quality public
realm by using physical form (rather than
separation of uses) as the organizing
principle for the code.
General Acute Care Hospital
An institution, whether operated for profit
or not, which maintains and operates
facilities for the diagnosis, treatment or
care of two or more non-related individuals
suffering from illness, injury or deformity
and where emergency, out-patient, surgical,
obstetrical, convalescent or other medical
and nursing care is rendered for periods
exceeding 24 hours.
High OccupancyVehicle Lane
Also known as an HOV lane, a
restricted traffic lane reserved at peak
travel times or longer for the exclusive use
of vehicles with a driver and one or more
passengers (including carpools, vanpools,
and transit buses), with the goals of reducing
congestion and air pollution.
Historical Architectural Review Board
(HARB)
A public advisory body created by state
and local laws. HARBs operate under the
authority of the State of Pennsylvania’s
Historic District Act, General Assembly
#167 of 1961, as amended 1963.
Household
A household includes all the people who
occupy a housing unit.A housing unit is a
house, an apartment, a mobile home, a group
of rooms, or a single room that is occupied
(or if vacant, is intended for occupancy) as
separate living quarters.The occupants may
be a single family, one person living alone,
two or more families living together, or
Housing ChoiceVoucher Program
(formerly Section 8)
A federal program for assisting very low-
income families, the elderly, and the disabled
to afford decent, safe, and sanitary housing in
the private market which is administered on
a local level by public housing agencies.
Independent Living Facilities
Communities where units are restricted to
households where at least one member is
at least age 55; residents live independently
without nursing care.
Industrial
Lands with heavy industrial uses, such as oil
refineries, chemical plants, steel and metal
fabrication facilities, and manufacturing
facilities - as well as lighter industrial uses,
warehousing and distribution centers, mini-
storage facilities, body shops, junkyards, and
other outdoor storage facilities.
Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)
Advanced applications which aim to provide
innovative services relating to different
modes of transport and traffic management
and enable various users to be better
informed and make safer, more coordinated,
and ‘smarter’ use of transport networks.
