Planning Commissioners Journal

"The Epicenter of the Green Movement" ... is in Kansas

Just a little over two years ago I visited Greensburg, Kansas, not long after a devastating tornado destroyed much of this small city -- population about 1,500. Take a look at my report, Rebuilding Greensburg. While there -- besides being overwhelmed by the scope of the devastation -- I also got the clear sense that Greensburg would be coming back. I was also impressed by how people from across the state of Kansas were rallying to support Greensburg.

Having said that, I'm still amazed by the direction Greensburg has taken. As one young resident says in this video, Greensburg is "the epicenter of the green movement." It's a view shared by local leaders, business owners, and residents.

Here's one part of a series of short videos from the Sundance Channel. To view the full series on Greensburg.

Some photos I took while in Greensburg two years ago. The bottom left photo is of the City Council meeting under the tent; bottom right, planners discussing rebuilding priorities (more on this on my 2007 report from Greensburg).

  click on photos to pop up at larger size

Show Respect to All

Tip 2 of 25
from Elaine Cogan

view all Tips posted to date

As a planning commissioner, you have the obligation to be polite and fair to all the citizens in your community: newcomers and oldtimers, people you agree with as well as those you would never invite to dinner.

Though the worst personal traits often come out at public hearings, people are not necessarily wrong just because they are angry, obstreperous and noisy, do not speak English well, or are confused about bureaucratic procedures. As annoying as they may be, try to overlook these so that you can understand and respond to the substance of their comments.

It is important that you show respect to the questioner even when you doubt the question.  People ask stupid questions ... hostile ones ... tough ones ... all of which you and your colleagues should answer as well as you can, but always respectfully. Sometimes, you and a citizen will have to "agree to disagree," but you should never show anger or lose your temper.

 

Whenever you are holding a public hearing or meeting, it is important to be aware of the  nonverbal clues, behavior, or habits that may seem to indicate your inattentiveness or rudeness. You send a negative message to the public when you slouch in your chair or lean back so far you appear to be bored or dozing. Likewise, they may be suspicious about what you are going to do with all your  notes if you scribble constantly. Sit up straight, look at the person speaking, nod affirmatively, and otherwise show your interest.  This becomes more difficult the later the hour, just the incentive you may need to call a halt to the proceedings and start fresh another day.

Do not chat with other commissioners or staff when a member of the public addresses  the commission. While you may be discussing the subject at hand or have another legitimate purpose, you appear to be dismissing what the public has to say without really hearing it. Another habit to avoid is drumming your fingers or a pencil on the table as if you are impatient to get this all over with.

These are some of the most common forms of behavior. You may know others as annoying or distracting. The important point to remember is just as you want to be treated with respect, the public deserves no less when dealing with you.

Note from Planning Commissioners Journal Editor Wayne Senville: we're pleased to be posting over the next half-year, on a weekly basis every Wednesday, PCJ columnist Elaine Cogan's 25 tips for planning commissioners from her excellent Now That You're on Board Publication.

We hope this will provide a convenient opportunity for planning commissioners and other "citizen planners" to benefit from Cogan's years' of experience in working with communities. The complete attractively-designed, spiral-bound, Now That You're on Board publication is also available for purchase and delivery by mail.

Fun With Google Maps

As someone who loves the quirky things you can discover on maps, Google Maps can be very entertaining!

See if you can figure any of these out. For an answer, click the link.

1. The ideal address for city planners is naturally here.

2.  You may need assistance in finding this street.

3. It's in Alaska, but sounds like it shouldn't be.

4. It's a road too many people are headed down during the recession -- but try to stay on this road instead.

5. A place for a filling dessert, unfortunately one of my favorites.

6. You're in trouble living here (did that give it away?).

7. When your life is too hectic, here's a road worth finding.

8. The top road in the country. I mean it, there's no other road that calls itself this.

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now add your own Google map entry as a Comment below!

 

The Most Advanced "Bus Rapid Transit" System in the World

In less than ten minutes, this video will give you a great introduction to the potential of "bus rapid transit." You'll visit Bogota, Colombia, home of what is considered the most advanced BRT system in the world, the Transmilenio. It has provided Bogota with a much cheaper alternative than either building more expressways or a subway system. The Transmilenio is also closely linked with feeder bus and bike routes. The video is by StreetFilms, a terrific source of videos on transportation issues.

For more about the Bogota system, see a recent article in the New York Times (July 9, 2009).

Controversial Issues: A Natural Part of Planning

Tip 1 of 25
from Elaine Cogan

view all Tips posted to date

There probably is not a community in this land that has even thought of erecting a statue in honor of a planning commissioner!

As unrecognized men and women, you should be proud of your contributions to some of the most important decisions a community can make that broaden its horizons and aspirations. Unfortunately, controversy is an inevitable part of the planning process. How you deal with it is an important measure of your effectiveness.

If you do not lose sight of the fact that you are a member of the community and keep tuned in to its priorities, you should not be surprised when an action or potential one becomes controversial.

Deal with likely controversial issues early. Meet with citizens informally in their neighborhoods or service clubs, city hall, or town library, and bring along staff to explain any technical aspects. Listen actively to what people tell you, giving them many opportunities to air their views in non-confrontational situations.

Do not make any promises you cannot deliver. Consider citizen comments carefully, but do not necessarily feel you have to change your mind or your vote if it is based on the collective best interest as you see it. Being open to constructive change does not equate with bending with the wind of every new idea.

Focus on the real issues. There often are immediate concerns and underlying issues -- and some citizens are too emotional or personally involved to see the difference. Unfortunately, some problems fester for years because no one has the courage to tackle them directly. You can act as the catalyst to sorting them out, helping make needed short-range decisions and agreeing on a process for dealing with the others.

The most effective commissioners are comfortable with their roles as laypeople who make planning decisions. They understand the technical aspects of what they are required to do while still bringing “real world” experiences and concerns to the table. After listening to all sides, your ultimate challenge when dealing with controversy is to feel comfortable with your decision, even if it is unpopular, and then to do all you can to ensure that animosities and disagreements do not linger once the decision is made.

It should not require accolades to give you satisfaction that you are an effective and important  bridge between the public and the sometimes esoteric, puzzling, and even controversial world of planning.

Note from Planning Commissioners Journal Editor Wayne Senville: we're pleased to be posting over the next half-year, on a weekly basis every Wednesday, PCJ columnist Elaine Cogan's 25 tips for planning commissioners from her excellent Now That You're on Board Publication.

We hope this will provide a convenient opportunity for planning commissioners and other "citizen planners" to benefit from Cogan's years' of experience in working with communities. The complete attractively-designed, spiral-bound, Now That You're on Board publication is also available for purchase and delivery by mail.

Coming Soon: Our Summer Issue

Scroll down to view the contents of our Summer issue.

Subscribe to the Planning Comm'rs Journal, and start out with our Summer issue, due out the end of the month. For more information about the Journal. note: use the above button except for local government orders from cities under 25,000 pop. or counties under 75,000 which receive our small community rate -- please use this link instead. Just want our Summer issue, without subscribing: $16.75; will be mailed out at the end of July: Note: there's a substantial discount on orders of 5 or more copies of our Summer issue; phone our office at 802.864.9083 for details & to order (do not use the Shopping Cart button above if you're ordering 5 or more copies).

Contents of our Summer 2009 issue
Libraries at the Heart of Our Communities by Wayne Senville There's been a dramatic change in the mission of libraries across the country. No longer just static repositories of books and reference materials, libraries are increasingly serving as the hub of their communities, providing a broad range of services and activities. They are also becoming important "economic engines" of downtowns and neighborhood districts. ** We would be pleased to email a complimentary copy of "Libraries at the Heart of Our Communities" as a pdf attachment on request; please email your request to: pcjoffice@gmail.com or call us at: 802-864-9083 (note: the pdf file is 1 MB in size).  See also our Resource Page on libraries.
	Are We There Yet? by Jim Segedy, FAICP, and Lisa Hollingsworth-Segedy, AICP Taking on the tasks identified in your community's plan may be a little like riding in the back seat of a car for a road trip where you don't know the landmarks. That's where benchmarks and indicators show their value.
Learn to Speak So People Will Listen by Elaine Cogan Planning commissioners can be of great service in speaking to community groups and organizations. Some tips to help you become a more effective speaker.
	The Nine Circles of Planning Commission Hell by Ric Stephens Planning commission hearings can sometimes bear an uncomfortable resemblance to the descriptions in Dante's epic poem. But there are ways to escape, explains PCJ columnist Ric Stephens.
Planetizen Update The Editors of Planetizen highlight six books of special interest to citizen planners.
	CircleTheUSA Three reports from the first leg of PCJ Editor Senville's travels: -- how the adaptive reuse of an old factory is key to a Vermont town's future. -- why a city in upstate New York has eliminated downtown parking requirements. -- a look at the connections between college and community in a small western Pennsylvania city.

In coming issues: Strategies for Avoiding Contentious Public Hearings | Energy Conservation Guide for Planning Commissioners | Public Transit for Small Towns & Rural Counties | Zoning for Religious Institutions | and much more
Recent Back Issues:	Special Focus Issues:
Spring 2009: Getting the Density You Want | Growing Safer: Improving Roadways for Everyone | Dialing for Citizens | Learning to Enjoy Your Service on the Commission | and more	Winter 2006: Bright Ideas: 21 creative planning-related ideas & programs you should know about
Winter 2009: Managing Stormwater Runoff: A Green Infrastructure Approach | Taking Low Impact Development from Research to Regulations | The ABC's of Transit-Oriented Development | and more	Fall 2005: This Land Is Your Land: on "takings" and property rights, and how planners can respond
Fall 2008: Pattern Books: A Planning Tool | GIS & Planning | Where Do We Want to Go? | and more	Fall 2004: Back to School for Planners: on the impacts of school location, and the relationship between planning and school boards
Summer 2008: Greenways | Developing at the Edge | An Introduction to Charrettes | and more	Spring 2004: Sphere of Influence: water and its impacts
Spring 2008: Car Sharing | Revisiting Ex Parte Contacts | Chairing the Commission | and more	Fall 2003: Planning for Historic Preservation: an introduction to historic preservation planning
Winter 2008: Downtown Futures: continuing a series of reports from planners across the U.S., focusing on downtown issues	Winter 2002: Opening the Door: planning for affordable housing
Fall 2007: Crossing America: a series of reports from planners across the U.S. | Bypass Highways | and more	Spring 2000: The Promise of America: an historical look at 10 successes & 10 failures that having affected America's cities

Designing the Seattle Public Library

In the Summer issue of the Planning Commissioners Journal our feature article, "Libraries at the Heart of Our Communities" (available for a limited time as a free download) includes a short section about the Seattle Public Library. The first ten minutes of this video features architect Joshua Prince-Ramus describing the concept behind the Library's layout & design.

Libraries at the Heart of Our Communities

There's been a dramatic change in the mission of libraries across the country. No longer just static repositories of books and reference materials, libraries are increasingly serving as the hub of their communities, providing a broad range of services and activities. They are also becoming important "economic engines" of downtowns and neighborhood districts.

 

"Libraries at the Heart of Our Communities" is available to order & immediately download (use link for more details); also available: printed copies of our Summer issue featuring the article.

Take a look also at two of our previous blog postings on libraries: "Hudson's Star Attraction" and "A Harbor You Can Sail Into." 

Reports from Leg 2 of "Circle The USA"

From PCJ Editor Wayne Senville:

I'm back from the second segment of my planned "Circle the USA" travels, covering Detroit; Troy and Flint, Michigan; and Elkhart County and northwestern Indiana.

 

I've filed the following reports. Take a look, and sign up for our Circle the USA blog feed and/or email updates.

 

-- When Rouge Turned Green

-- Preservation or Demolition?

-- Campus Martius Park in Downtown Detroit

-- A Suburb Plans for Change

-- Not Giving Up on Flint, I

-- Not Giving Up on Flint, II

-- Good or Bad Signs in Indiana?

-- A Main Street Succeeds in Tough Times

-- Planning for 46 Miles of Lakeshore

My next segment will include several days in the Chicago area, followed by stops in Kankakee County, Illinois; Dubuque, Iowa; and southern Wisconsin.

 

Again, check out our Circle the USA web site where announcements and reports will be posted.

Zero Waste

The goal is ambitious: zero waste generated in an entire village. It takes "team spirit" and a commitment to environmental values. A 3-minute overview of how the village of Kamikatsu, Japan, is trying to reach its ambitious goal. Reported by Christian Science Monitor staff writer Amelia Newcomb and photographer Andy Nelson.

Green Essentials: our July Special Offer

Note from Planning Comm'rs Journal Editor Wayne Senville about our July special: There's growing interest in "green infrastructure" -- ways of relying more on natural systems to handle the impacts of development (such as stormwater runoff), while also decreasing our dependence on fossil fuels. The articles in this new collection from the Planning Commissioners Journal will provide you with an introduction to a number of related issues: from energy conservation at the local level to how our Main Streets can support efforts creating more sustainable communities. As a planner or planning commissioner you have a key role in helping shape your community's priorities. You can take the lead in bringing information to the table that will help show others in your community the benefits of better development practices. Let our Green Essentials reprint collection help you out.

Order all of the following articles for delivery by first-class mail, as a bound 62-page reprint collection for an introductory price of just $20.00. Flat shipping & handling fee of $5.00 regardless of quantity of reprint sets ordered. Planning Comm'rs Journal subscribers save even more: activate your additional 25% discount for this item before ordering. You can also order by phoning our office at: 802.864.9083 -- best between 10am and 3pm Eastern time. Say you're calling about the July Green Essentials special offer. If you're a subscriber, you will also receive the additional 25% discount. Local governments can be invoiced on orders.

Contents of Green Essentials:

Building Lego's Biggest Model No. 10189

Wish there were a time-lapse video of building the real thing from 1632 to 1653. But lacking that, this home made video is fun to watch -- at least if you enjoy Legos!

OK, you'd prefer to see a real building constructed? Here's one video I came across. It documents the construction of the Joseph Wright Centre in Derby, England. It was filmed over a year, and pulls together 21,680 images from a web cam.