Lehigh Valley growth calls for coordinated planning, commission says

The Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce presented its 2026 Lehigh Valley Real Estate Outlook Award to the Goodman Building Redevelopment in South Side Bethlehem. 

The award was accepted by developer Collaboration3, which rehabilitated a vacant former retail and commercial building within the arts district into a space for residential, commercial and retail uses. 

But it was the future of development that was the key focus of the event, and the future of the region is looking bigger and hopefully even better, according to Becky Bradley, executive director of the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission. 

But, in order for the region to develop in a smart and sustainable way, she said developers and community leaders need to work together on proper planning to make sure any new development comes in spaces with the transportation, infrastructure and population to sustain it. 

Zack Jaindl, president of Jaindl Enterprises, agreed that working together as a community is vital to development. 

“Public private partnerships are very important. It’s very difficult to create that sense of space without it,” Jaindl said. 

Population, however, won’t be a problem, said Bradley. 

She noted that the region, which has been growing rapidly for decades, is continuing to grow in population. 

Since 1970 around 240,000 people have moved to the Lehigh Valley with a combination of people moving in from other parts of the state to people moving from other states such as New York and New Jersey, or international destinations from the Caribbean, Central America and Asia. 

That figure is roughly equivalent to the populations of Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton and Emmaus combined. 

By 2050 the region is expected to add another 100,000 people, which will bring the total population to nearly 800,000 – making the Lehigh Valley close to becoming a major metropolitan area. 

She noted that in 2025 there were around 6,000 housing units reviewed by the commission, continuing the growth in residential development that started with the pandemic six years ago. 

In the first quarter of 2026, she noted that 830 new housing units were proposed, 65% of which were apartment projects. 

Those units are needed with the Lehigh Valley still experiencing about a 9,000-unit deficit in available housing. 

She said the population growth is both in urban centers and suburban and rural areas, meaning all regions of the Lehigh Valley need to plan for the influx of population and the new businesses that will be coming along as well. 

The LVPC has been hard at work making sure that happens. 

Currently, the commission is working with municipalities to make sure there is a clear direction on planning for development in the region. 

“The era of large-scale warehouse development is slowing,” Bradley said. “Now hyperscale data center development is growing.” 

With 5.8 million square feet of industrial and commercial development underway, Bradley said communities need to focus on that next generation of development. 

“Development is not inherently good or bad for a community,” Bradley said it depends on how a project is being developed and used. 

That doesn’t just mean municipalities keeping an eye on their zoning. Although the commission did recently put out a guide to help with. It also means working with developers. 

One tool the planning commission will be launching soon is the Plan LV Portal where developers can submit plans and track the review process, so they are kept up to date on approvals. 

“We need to know where we can build,” she said.