Behind the Scenes Advocacy
When planning commissioners become “behind the scenes” advocates. Some cautionary advice from Greg Dale.
Greg Dale
C. Gregory Dale, FAICP, is a founding Principal with McBride Dale Clarion, the Cincinnati affiliate office of Clarion Associates. He has managed planning projects throughout the country, and is a frequent speaker at planning and zoning workshops throughout the country.
Between 1991 and 2009, Dale authored 21 articles in the Ethics & the Planning Commission series for the Planning Commissioners Journal, and also covered a range of transportation and zoning topics. He is also a co-author of The Planning Commissioners Guide (American Planning Association, 2013).
All of Dale’s Planning Commissioners Journal articles are listed below. Click on the title to read excerpts. PlannersWeb members can also download the complete articles in pdf format, as published in the PCJ.
Most Recent Articles
Are Your Procedures Fair?
Greg Dale explores why fairness may require more than the legal minimum.
Considering the Regional Impacts of Local Actions
Do we have an ethical responsibility to take into account the regional impacts of local land use decisions?
Revisiting Ex Parte Contacts
Just about every planning commission at some time faces questions about ex parte contacts. Greg Dale explains why ex parte contacts can cause problems and how to avoid common pitfalls.
Three Articles on Planning for our Aging Population
1. Ways of better involving older residents in planning; 2. mobility concerns of an aging population; 3. housing & land use issues facing seniors.
Building a Sense of Community
How do we build a “sense of community”? That’s a question many planning commissioners ask. Long-time planner and Planning Comm’rs Journal columnist Greg Dale offers his thoughts
Regional Approaches to Planning
Greg Dale provides an overview of several broad approaches to regional planning, and then takes a closer look at regional planning efforts in Nevada’s Las Vegas Valley.
Current Planning Issues: Smart Growth
Planning Commissioners Journal columnist Greg Dale takes a look at two words that have been sweeping the nation: “smart growth.”
Who Shall Serve? Public Interest vs. Special Interest
Is it appropriate for citizens who have represented “special interest” groups to serve on local planning boards? Greg Dale considers the ethical dimensions of this question.
It’s All Relative
Greg Dale explains why “it’s all relative” in his article on conflict of interest situations involving family members.
Zoning and Changing Lifestyles
Long-time planners and PCJ contributing writers Mike Chandler and Greg Dale take a look at the impact that changes in our society are having on local zoning regulation.
Zoning Basics
Mike Chandler and Greg Dale look at zoning basics with an overview of the purposes of zoning, the structure of a typical zoning ordinance, and the principal players in the “zoning universe.” With sidebars on key zoning-related legal issues.
Making Your Opinion Known
Are there any constraints on when a planning board member can speak out publicly as an individual, rather than as a representative of the board? Greg Dale looks at some political and ethical considerations.
