A Plan for Southwest NH
Transportation and travel, jobs and workforce, housing and homelessness, rivers, water quality and flooding—so many aspects of community planning are regional in nature. Our communities shouldn’t stop planning at town lines, nor can they afford to when we recognize the resources and economy of scale we can leverage by planning regionally.
Each Regional Planning Commission is responsible for creating a comprehensive Regional Plan – a document that provides a coordinated path forward for the region. Like a Master Plan – but for the whole southwestern corner of NH – the Regional Plan is informed by Monadnock Region municipalities, organizations, and citizens. As the existing Regional Plan passes its ten-year anniversary, it is time for an update!
Process
The Regional Plan update has opened a regional conversation about what’s working, where collaboration has made a difference, and where shared challenges call for shared solutions, because better regional planning benefits us all.
Over the past year, SWRPC gathered input through:
- The 2026 Winter Commission Meeting
- A review of municipal and organizational strategic plans
- Citizen Planner Peer-to-Peer Roundtables
- Discussions with SWRPC’s advisory committees
- Activities at the SWRPC Annual Meeting, including a review of the local levers communities can use to act on regional priorities
SWRPC is also sharing draft modules directly with local stakeholders for review as they are completed.
What’s in the Plan
The updated plan includes 22 recommendations for the region. Each recommendation is presented as a short brief that explains why the issue matters for the region, what the data show, and what actions communities and partners can take, along with key partners and additional resources.
Review the Draft
Beginning October 13, SWRPC will post draft recommendation modules on this page as they are completed. You are welcome to review them and share comments at any time using our comment form.
The full draft plan will be available for review and comment from November 1 through November 30.
The SWRPC Board of Directors will hold a public hearing and consider adoption of the plan at its meeting on December 8.
For more information, please contact Sarah Bollinger, Senior Planner, at [email protected].
