Center for Conservation and Development

The Center for Conservation and Development pioneers unique solutions to environmental protection by encouraging better development decisions. Faced with the accelerating consumption and fragmentation of land across all 50 states, the Center offers creative projects and models that balance social, economic, and environmental interests. The Center works with private, public, and nonprofit partners to conserve significant natural resources and build better communities. Through the Center's initiatives, we seek to achieve a healthy economic return and conservation benefits.

Conservation Development

The Center engages private, public, and nonprofit landowners and developers and works with them to foster, promote, and document environmentally friendly development practices. The Conservation Development initiatives include:

The Partnership for Conservation Development
In partnership with the National Town Builders Association we are working to create desirable, successful communities with outstanding conservation outcomes.
Conservation-Based Affordable Housing
Following on the heels of the first national study of Conservation-Based Affordable Housing the Center both identifies models and promotes strategies that enable communities to have quality affordable housing for low- and moderate-income residents while protecting their treasured conservation lands.

Better Models for Development

The Center challenges both existing and new communities to realize better development choices, providing Better Models resources including:

Better Models for Development Publications
An ongoing series of publications guides communities across the United States in realizing the economic value of preserving and enhancing their unique sense of place. Commonsense principles illustrated by numerous comparative photographs demonstrate more attractive, efficient, and profitable alternatives to conventional development.
Better Models for Development Outreach and Training
The Center provides targeted services to states, regions and local communities. Learn more about how this is being done in Pennsylvania, where the Center is helping businesses, local and state governments, and civic groups realize development opportunities that will complement their unique landscape character and heritage.

Land Advisory Services

For select signature projects, the Fund’s Land Advisory Services team provides planning and consulting services to create exceptional places that meet quality of life goals, protect sensitive resources, support healthy and diverse communities, and achieve financial objectives.

Our Conservation Commitment: Additional Resources

Underpinning the Center’s engagement in development is the strongest commitment to achieving solid conservation outcomes and building the leadership capacity of those stewards of our community heritage and natural resources. The Center works in partnership with other Conservation Fund programs including: