Nearly 260 municipalities are designated by the State of Vermont as Downtowns, Village Centers, New Town Centers, Growth Centers and Neighborhood Development Areas. Participants in the program receive benefits such as tax incentives, grant funding, technical assistance and regulatory relief.
The Vermont Legislature authorized an evaluation and reform project for 2023, to review how well Vermont’s designation programs are working and develop recommendations for strengthening, streamlining, and modernizing the programs in the future.
DHCD has contracted with Smart Growth America, a national nonprofit that provides advocacy, technical assistance, and leadership on creating better places through development, and Community Workshop, a Vermont-based engagement consultant, who are working to prepare a designation program evaluation and recommendations for the 2024 legislative session.
Designation 2050 Program Design Summit
On September 12, 2023, DHCD hosted a free Designation 2050 Program Design Summit in Randolph. Local officials, planners, business and property owners, statewide leaders, and members of the general public were invited to attend. We will post a link to ORCA Media's coverage of the summit as soon as it is available.