Welcome to the CSPDC

The Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission (CSPDC) represents and serves the local governments of Augusta, Bath, Highland, Rockbridge, and Rockingham counties and the cities of Buena Vista, Harrisonburg, Lexington, Staunton and Waynesboro as well as the 11 towns within the Central Shenandoah region.

The CSPDC works with its member jurisdictions, communities and agencies to provide high-quality planning, technical assistance, and facilitation of services that address local, regional and state needs in an innovative, timely and cooperative manner. Covering everything from land use planning, transportation, water and waste-water utilities, natural resource management, affordable housing, economic and community development, disaster mitigation and preparedness, agritourism to human services, the CSPDC is an invaluable asset to the quality of life in the Shenandoah Valley. For more information about the CSPDC, click here.

HRMPO Holds Open House on North Mason Street Corridor Study

Posted on March 19, 2026March 19, 2026 by Paula Melester

The Harrisonburg Rockingham Metropolitan Planning Organization (HRMPO) held a public open house on Tuesday, February 24 at the Lucy F. Simms Continuing Education Center to share proposed improvement concepts for the MPO North Mason Street Study. Study is evaluating safety and streetscape improvements between East Market Street and North Main Street, and study builds on last summer’s demonstration project, which temporarily converted North Mason Street from four lanes to two. 1,500 people shared their input on the demonstration project.

February open house attendees reviewed the proposed design concepts, asked questions, and provided input on potential improvement strategies. Public input will inform the City’s selection of a preferred alternative, and will be documented in a final corridor study expected to be complete by summer 2026.

The study evaluates options for permanent changes to the corridor by replacing some existing roadway space with new public space. The designs also ensure adequate capacity for traffic while accommodating all modes of transportation, including pedestrians, people biking, trucks, emergency vehicles, and transit buses.

Following the preferred alternative selection, the City of Harrisonburg intends to submit the project for consideration through Virginia’s SMART SCALE transportation funding program. If funded, construction would begin after 2030.

You can review the informational boards from the meeting here: https://www.harrisonburgva.gov/sites/default/files/public-works/North%20Mason%20Boards.pdf.

For more information about the study, visit https://www.harrisonburgva.gov/transportation-studies-plans#NorthMasonStreetCorridorStudy.

Rockbridge Outdoors Begins 2026–2030 Strategic Planning Process

Posted on March 19, 2026March 19, 2026 by Paula Melester

On March 12, 2026, graduate students in the Department of Urban and Environmental Planning at the University of Virginia School of Architecture facilitated an on-site workshop at the Virginia Horse Center to support the Rockbridge Outdoors Strategic Plan update for 2026–2030. This marks the initiative’s third strategic planning process since the Rockbridge Outdoors Area Partnership launched in 2018.

Rockbridge Outdoors’ mission is to collaboratively advance, create, and promote outdoor recreational opportunities throughout the Rockbridge area. The initiative is made up of approximately 50 organizations excited about supporting a regional vision for outdoor recreation in the Rockbridge area.

During the session, the students introduced two engagement tools designed to gather community input: an asset map highlighting outdoor recreation resources and a public survey to capture feedback from partnership members. Rockbridge Outdoors’ project teams–Community Wellness, Marketing, Trails, and Water Trails—also met and reviewed existing action plans and established updated priorities for the next four years.

The strategic planning team is continuing its information-gathering process through several focus groups composed of outdoor recreation stakeholders. The finalized strategic plan is expected to be completed and delivered by the end of April.

Stay Connected with CSPDC: Introducing Our Enhanced Engagement Hub

Posted on March 19, 2026March 19, 2026 by Paula Melester

We’re excited to share a fresh new way to stay in the loop on the planning work happening across the Central Shenandoah region. Visit connect.cspdc.org to explore our new online engagement hub, where you can follow our programs, track projects you care about, and share your input — all in one place.

The site is organized around CSPDC’s program areas, making it easy to find what’s most relevant to you. Start at the “Around the Region“ hub for our annual report and monthly regional news, or head straight to the program area hub that interests you most — transportation, housing, environment, and more. Each hub showcases all of the related projects currently underway, so you’ll always have a clear picture of what we’re up to.

Subscribe or Follow — and Stay in the Know

This is where Connect really shines. You have two easy ways to stay current:

Subscribe to a program area — Just enter your email address on any program area page to receive updates whenever new content is posted. No account needed.
Follow a specific project — Interested in a particular project? Click the “Follow” button on the project page to receive targeted updates. This option requires a free Social Pinpoint account, which takes just a moment to set up.

Creating an account also lets you customize your experience — choose which parts of the region you want to hear about, select the types of projects that interest you, and set how often you’d like to receive notifications. You’re in control, and you can update your preferences or delete your account at any time.

Your Input Matters — Even After Engagement Closes

When a project is in an active engagement phase, you’ll find surveys, interactive maps, and other tools right on the project page. But project pages don’t disappear when an engagement window closes — they stay on the site to share results and provide ongoing project updates, so the conversation continues.

We hope you’ll take a few minutes to explore connect.cspdc.org. Subscribe to what interests you, follow the projects you want to track, and let us know what you think!