"The march of progress, like hot, flowing lava, is burning up the landscape. Farms and forests are being transformed into large tracts of single-family homes. Scenic roads are becoming lined with strip developments - big 'box' stores surrounded by seas of asphalt. The local governments responsible for dealing with these issues are overpowered because of scarce resources and a lack of sufficient expertise."
-Washington County Regional Planning Council, May 2001

But all is not lost for Washington County, the fastest growing region in Rhode Island. Nearly a decade ago, the University of Rhode Island sought to answer the question, "Does regional planning make sense in Washington County?" Interviews with hundreds of business owners, community leaders, municipal officials, and persons with environmental interests provided the answer: yes.

The Washington Trust Company has joined the University of Rhode Island to take these findings to the next step. "We decided that if [regional planning] made sense, together we have the capacity to provide the continuity and to nurture the idea," explains Michael Rauh, Senior Vice President at The Washington Trust Company and facilitator of the Washington County Regional Planning Council.

Through WCRPC, Washington County's nine towns of Charles-town, Exeter, Hopkinton, Narragansett, New Shoreham, North Kingstown, Richmond, South Kingstown, and Westerly - came together to address common concerns around land use planning, water resources, economic development, transportation, and housing.

The Council's most ambitious project to date is 'A Shared Future: Washington County in 2020,' a report that describes a shared vision of "communities creating desirable places to live with vibrant village centers, permanently preserved natural areas, peaceful farmlands and forests, and sparkling rivers, streams, and beaches."

The Council is poised to convert its vision to action. The Foundation's grant will enable the all-volunteer Council to hire an executive director.

What will Washington County look like in 2020? Rauh says, "Each one of us, and there are something like 100,000 people in Washington County, has spaces that are special to us. For some people, it's the beaches, for some it's the villages. Whatever that special feeling for Washington County, that's what we hope to still have in 2020."