Planning Commissioners Journal

Now Available: Our Fall Issue

Several articles from our Fall issue can now be individually ordered & downloaded; click on the article titles below for details and to order.

Subscribe to the Planning Commissioners Journal, and start with our Fall issue.Order online, or call our office: 802-864-9083. Note: government orders can call and request to be invoiced. Just want a copy of the Fall issue? Download a pdf for $14.75 or Order a print copy for delivery by mail for $15.75, plus postage

Contents of our Fall 2010 issue
Read PCJ Editor Wayne Senville's introduction to the Fall issue.
	Measuring What Matters by Hannah Twaddell and Gary Toth There's a growing recognition that transportation systems need to foster livable, sustainable communities -- and focus on more than just mobility. See also our interview with Hannah Twaddell & Gary Toth about their article.
Why Getting Good Grades Isn't Always the Answer by Wayne Senville More on the use of "level of service" standards and traffic projections in transportation planning.
	What's "Sustainable"? -- full text available; no charge by Dave Stauffer Sustainability may be hard to define, but it's increasingly being discussed by developers and local planning commissions.
What Planners Wish Their Planning Commissioners Knew by Jim Segedy & Lisa Hollingsworth-Segedy Take note planning commissioners! The Segedys (with apologies to David Letterman) offer their own "top 10" list.
	A "Community Character" Inventory by Wendy Grey Gaining a solid understanding of your community's natural and built environment will lay the groundwork for more effective planning.
Assets that Build Your Local Economy by Gwendolyn Hallsmith Taking a close look at your local economic assets is the first step in putting together an economic development plan.
	Understanding Regional Retail Development by Beth Humstone Retail development has major impacts on communities and regions. Planners can stay ahead of the curve by understanding the regional retail market and helping shape where retail will best fit. -- see additional online resources supplementing this article.
The Place Making Dividend -- full text available; no charge by Edward McMahon If you can't differentiate your community from any other community, you have no competitive advantage in today's global economy.

Where Are We Heading?

From PCJ Editor Wayne Senville:

In planning for our communities, how often do we really think about where we’re heading -- and to what extent do we rely on old assumptions?

In the Fall issue of the Planning Commissioners Journal, transportation planners Hannah Twaddell and Gary Toth talk about the new direction many communities are taking when it comes to transportation planning. It’s based on a growing realization that for too long the overriding objective of transportation planning has been to come up with ways of moving vehicles through our cities and towns as quickly as possible -- and that this single-minded approach has hurt efforts to build more livable, sustainable communities.

Not too long ago, for example, few transportation planners (or others) questioned the assumption that the best way to improve our transportation networks is by building wider and straighter roadways. But now, there’s a growing recognition this is often not the best approach to reducing traffic congestion and improving mobility. Even more importantly, there’s a realization that mobility is just one factor to consider when thinking about how well our transportation systems work.

Of course, it’s not just in the field of transportation planning that we need to think about the direction we’re taking our cities and towns. This calls for the insights planners and planning commissioners can bring to the table. Inside our Fall issue, you’ll also find articles showing how you can gain a clearer understanding of your community -- and region -- in several ways: by cataloguing its natural and man-made resources (Wendy Grey); by examining its economic assets (Gwendolyn Hallsmith); and by better understanding its retail market (Beth Humstone).

Gain knowledge of your community.

Question old assumptions.

Don’t be afraid to ask: “Where are we heading?” 

 

Go Downtown With Our October Special

Your community's comprehensive plan should make downtown the easiest and most advantageous place for new development to occur. -- Kennedy Smith, from "Downtown Hurdles"

Many cities and towns are seeking to revitalize their downtown or main street district -- or create a new hub for their community.

This collection of articles from the Planning Comm'rs Journal provides an excellent introduction to the planning issues facing downtown & town center development and revitalization.

You'll also find articles providing planning commissioners an introduction to historic preservation planning and historic district zoning.

If you order our Downtowns & Town Centers collection this month, not only will we provide free shipping, but we'll also send you the five beautiful note cards (with envelopes) shown below. They are from past issue covers of the Planning Commissioners Journal by talented illustrator Paul Hoffman. Click on the card images below to view them at larger size. The actual size of each card is 4 1/4" x 5 1/2."

Note: if you're interested in obtaining any of these designs as an attractively framed print, or in ordering additional note cards, please visit our online CafePress store; but note, the note cards are not currently available from CafePress in assorted packs.

Contents of Downtowns & Town Centers collection:

 

See the detailed contents of our Downtowns & Town Centers collection -- but you must return to this page to order to receive the special offer that includes the notecards.

Order our collection of articles on Downtowns & Town Centers for delivery by first-class mail, as a bound 76-page reprint collection -- plus five attractive notecards -- for just $20.00. Price includes free shippping. Note: because our monthly special offers are significantly discounted, there is no additional subscriber discount available on them. Local governments can be invoiced on orders. You can also order by phoning our office at: 802.864.9083.