Urban Growth Boundaries
One of the most remarkable aspects of Oregon planning law is the “urban growth boundary” (UGB). A look at how it works.
Planning Universe
Welcome to the Planning Universe! Use the drop down menu above to find articles and postings about who’s who in the Planning Universe:
— Citizens
— Consultants
— Developers
— Lawyers
— Local Governing Body
— Media & Press
— NIMBYs
— Planning Staff
— Regional Perspectives
Can Intersections Lead to Stronger Neighborhoods & Empowered Residents?
What do street intersections have to do with strong neighborhoods and empowered citizens? Aren’t intersections just for dividing up blocks, and getting traffic through? Take a look at a program that’s turned intersections on their head.
Wow! That’s Quite a Cut
One of the Portland, Oregon, metro area’s most ambitious goals is to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Significant progress has already been made, but much more remains to be accomplished.
The Secrets of Successful Communities – Part 5: Cooperate With Neighbors for Mutual Benefit
Successful communities know that today’s world requires cooperation for mutual benefit. They understand that very few small towns have the resources, by themselves, to attract tourists or to compete with larger communities.
What’s the Matter With Using Social Media?
As your commission, your department, or your local government start using social media tools more and more, it’s essential to look at these with a clear, un-awed eye … and realize that the tools we need to do our work well require much more than just a Facebook page.
Brookings Study Underscores Need for Regional Approaches to Dealing With Suburban Poverty
A recently published Brookings Institute study, Confronting Suburban Poverty in America, reports that poverty in suburban America grew by a startling 64 percent over the past decade (to 16.4 million people).
Top 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Holding Public Hearings or Meetings
To help you avoid the holes in the rocky road of being a planning commissioner, we present the Top Ten Mistakes to Avoid When Holding Public Hearings or Meetings.
Bridging the Digital Divide … in Our Libraries
Planners are increasingly relying on the web and online tools to gather public input. But there are concerns about the “digital divide” and whether all segments of the community can participate. A look at how public libraries are helping reduce the digital divide.
When Communication Goes One-Way
We claim in local government to want to have the community involved — we call it “public engagement” or “public feedback” or “stakeholder involvement” — but the fact is, most of the time we’re paying lip service to the idea, at best if we want to find solutions to the complex, tangled issues we face — we need dialogue, we need collaborators.
Don’t (just) Ask; Don’t (just) Tell
Collaboration should be the ultimate goal of our planning efforts. If we design our public engagement strategies to build Collaboration, we can do more than what our planning commissions can do alone. We can strengthen the full set of muscles we need to make the entire community better.
What Really Counts in a Community
We all know that the bottom line in what really counts in building strong communities is … the people. Committed citizens can pull together and make just about any place better. That’s just what I saw on a windy Saturday in the small city of Bath, Maine.
Our Public Hearings Resource Guide
Take a look at the latest addition to the PlannersWeb. Our 12-part Resource Guide will provide you tips and ideas on how to better manage public hearings. The Resource Guide also points you to other relevant online information and documents.
Building a New Downtown – Part II
In part II of this posting, we take a closer look at how the Town of Mansfield, Connecticut worked with UConn and and a private developer to move forward on its new downtown, Storrs Center. Including some tips from some of the project participants.
