Op-Ed: Vermonters’ decisions today will shape communities for generations
October 25, 2025 | By Kati Gallagher From my home in Waterbury Center, just a few steps across the street takes me to a park where I can walk my dog and (theoretically) play disc golf. A stroll behind my house brings me to our local pottery studio, and to the south, I can walk to a farmstand while listening to the community band practice on the green.
Hiking and mountain biking trails are also easily accessible from my house, and this proximity allows me to venture deep in the woods where Vermont’s breathtaking natural resources are on full display. This reality – being able to access a thriving community center and open spaces – is the magic that drew me to this corner of the world.
But these qualities that make Vermont communities desirable are slipping away. Rising costs and limited housing mean families can’t find homes near schools, shops, or parks. Downtown businesses can’t keep staff because housing rentals are scarce and expensive. Farms are harder to hold onto due to increasing land costs, while forest habitat is being dissected by new driveways.
As climate change-driven extreme weather hits harder, the way we build will either improve or hinder our resilience. Land use ties it all together: it dictates whether or not communities can grow without losing their identity, whether or not families can afford to stay, and whether or not Vermont remains both livable and resilient for generations to come.
Creating lasting livability is exactly what Vermont’s new Act 181 aims to do. Enacted in 2024, Act 181 was designed to address and modernize land use laws to help protect natural resources and working lands while advancing sustainable development. This law was built on years of research, study groups, and legislative debate focused on how to update the state’s land use and development law (Act 250) and align it with state investments and regional and local land use plans.
One of the most powerful tools Act 181 puts in our hands is regional future land use maps. In the past, these maps were largely advisory, used by Vermont’s regional planning commissions to illustrate where different areas might be designated for future growth or conservation. Now for the first time, they carry real regulatory weight by being tied to Act 250 jurisdiction and providing towns a path to seek exemptions from Act 250 review for downtowns and village centers. In addition, the maps are tied to the State Designation Program, as the mapping process provides eligibility for state tax credits and grants to strengthen our downtowns and village centers.
Act 181 also enhances protection of Vermont’s most critical natural resources and working lands. By requiring Act 250 review for projects outside of growth areas with especially long roads and driveways, the new law will discourage scattered development that fragments farmland and forests.
Development projects that fall under Act 250 review will now assess their environmental impact on forest fragmentation and wildlife, encouraging better site design. And a current stakeholder process will identify which of the state’s most sensitive natural resources require environmental review. In short: instead of letting growth scatter in ways that strain families, businesses, and natural systems – and which requires sprawling infrastructure that costs more for local taxpayers to build and maintain – Act 181 helps communities plan for and invest in smarter, more intentional development to meet our housing needs.
The benefits of planning for sustainable and balanced growth are wide-ranging:
Stronger downtowns. Concentrating limited state funding and leveraging existing investments in historic downtowns helps local businesses succeed, supports public spaces, protects taxpayers, and makes it easier for people to live close to what they need.
Connected neighborhoods. By streamlining permitting for housing in and around town and village centers, and designing those areas with sidewalks, bike lanes, and safe crossings, communities can create neighborhoods where young families can find starter homes, workers can rent affordably, older Vermonters can age in place, and everyone enjoys safe, convenient connections to schools, shops, and services.
Resilient landscapes. Compact growth patterns protect farmland, forests, and clean water, while reducing the emissions that come with long commutes.
But here’s the key: the land use maps that will shape future development in Vermont aren’t handed down from the State House. They’re built through local conversations where residents bring their hopes and concerns to the table. Every Vermonter has a role to play.
In the months ahead, regional planning commissions will be asking you to help shape where growth should and shouldn’t go. Many regional planning commissions have started, and Rutland’s has already submitted its draft land use plan to the new Land Use Review Board for review. The board will be analyzing compliance with the requirements of Act 181. Maps from the Chittenden County and Northwest regional commissions soon will be submitted too.
The everyday magic of being able to walk to a park, grab fresh corn from a farmstand, or catch up with neighbors at the store is what makes Vermont so special – and what Act 181 is designed to protect and strengthen. By showing up in these local conversations and taking an active role in community planning, we can ensure that the Vermont we pass on still feels like home: connected, vibrant, and rooted in the landscapes that define us.
Find out more about the implementation of Act 181 through regional planning commissions on the Vermont Natural Resources Council website here. Waterbury and nearby communities are part of the Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission.
Kati Gallagher is the Sustainable Communities Program Director for the Vermont Natural Resources Council. A Waterbury resident, Gallagher serves on the Waterbury Planning Commission.