Public Participation
Open Source for Planners
Mark Gorton, creator of Limewire started developing his GeoServer software in 1999. Recently Portland adopted the software to plan bus routes. Gorton wants to foster a new revolution in participatory planning.
Dance Your Plan
Getting people to understand the intricacies of planning can be a challenge. The modern-day emphasis on public participation is an effort to get people involved, but it's frankly not too appealing for most people to attend public hearings about zoning amendments and setback changes. But those zoning amendments and setback changes could be pretty important. Planners need to try harder to connect with the people their work affects to explain its importance. It's time to break from convention. One possible way is dancing.
Officials Working Out Nitty-Gritty of Rail Project
Views are already beginning to clash as the California high-speed rail project begins its development process. But until environmental and design reports are available, many questions are to be left unanswered.
Mr. City Rankings Answers Your Questions
Bert Sperling, who has earned recognition for his lists of "Best Places," responds to questions posed by the readers of the Freakonomics blog.
Documenting Industrial Areas on the Ground
By enlisting the help of concerned local citizens, researchers are getting better documentation of the locations of potentially polluting industrial land uses near residential areas.
Community Calls for Involvement as Swaths of New York Land are Rezoned
One-sixth of the total land in New York has been rezoned under Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and some say it's fueling widespread gentrification. Community members affected by the changes are calling for more say in the future of their neighborhoods.
B.C. Official Releases 'Scathing' Report Criticizing Land Use Decisions
B.C. Auditor General John Doyle released a scathing report this week claiming that officials have done a poor job of involving the public and looking out for their best interests.
The Importance of Posters in Public Life
Street posters play an important role in participatory civic life, according to this article from re:place magazine.
June is Public Participation in Urban Planning Month
Urban planning commentator Robert Goodspeed declares June "Public Participation in Urban Planning Month" and offers a four part series examining how technology and public participation might be more closely linked.
Engaging The Public In Land Use Decisions
A committee in Baltimore charged with the task of encouraging more public involvement in land use decisions is learning how difficult that can be as it faces criticism that its own meetings didn't get enough participation from residents.
Make Public Art Public
Pubilc art should be guided by public input, according to this commentary.
Facilitating A Community Dialog On The Internet
The City of Oak Harbor, Washington is giving residents a chance to sound off about planning and development issues on several blogs.
Planning in Venezuela's Communal Councils
This article from Progressive Planning looks at the communal councils being set up in Venezuela and the progress they have made in local planning efforts.
Citizens Hope to Kick Off-Road Park Off Track
Controversy over noise and property values have pitted homeowners against city officials with plans to build an off-road vehicle park in Juneau, Alaska.
The Developing Role of Charrettes
This episode of Smart City includes a discussion about charrettes with Bill Lennertz of the National Charrette Institute.
So You Want to Change the World, Part 1: Networking for Students (and Others)
Some people choose to work in planning because they see it as a relatively interesting and stable job. Others have dreams of being the equivalent of an all-powerful SimCity-style mayor. However, many choose planning as a career because they want to make a difference in the world. They want to do good and to help those who are the least advantaged. They are attracted by the potential, if limited, for planning to foster environmental justice and social equity.
People Can't Live In A Mini-Mart
This message is brought to you by the frustrated residents of a city where strip malls prosper and the stock of affordable housing struggles to keep up with demand. A new strip mall being constructed at the intersection of Venice Blvd. and Western Ave. in Los Angeles inspired this public display. Strip malls are in no short supply in L.A., and this is just one example of yet another being built in the city. Unmixed-use retail developments like this are popping up all over the place. Much less new housing is being built. And a sharply lower amount of new affordable housing is being built.
Where Do I Live and Where Do I Park?
As one of my favorite colleagues says, all anyone ever cares about at any public meeting is “where do I live and where do I park?” Public process, in short, asks people to accept changes to their homes and lives. And people generally do not like change.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
