VISIONING

1. VISIONING Knowing the future you want, getting the future you imagine Pinellas Planning Council September 14, 2006

2. Agenda for Visioning • Introduction and purpose • Statutory provisions • Concepts of the visioning process • Techniques and methods • Exercises • Questions and discussion

3. Purpose of Visioning • Identify what we value today and describe what we want to be and look like in the future. • Develop consensus on what to change or preserve. • Evoke an image of the future as a foundation for planning today.

4. Purpose of Visioning • Visioning provides an opportunity to step back and look at the “big picture” – consider the ideal future for your community. • It provides a means of engaging citizens early – before the “real planning” gets underway.

5. Statutory Incentives for Visioning • Section 163.3184(17) of the Florida Statutes provides incentives • Exemption from DCA oversight of map amendments if the community… • Adopts a Community Vision and • Designates Urban Service Boundaries (USB) • See DCA website: • www.dca.state.fl.us/fdcp/dcp/visioning/index.cfm

6. Statutory Incentives for Visioning • Pinellas County – some visioning projects in place both countywide and individual municipalities • Urban service agreements may meet the urban service boundary requirement • Discussion is underway regarding consistency of past efforts with statutes

7. Visioning is both Process and Product • It is values based. • It fosters ownership in both the vision and the plans that follow. • It motivates and inspires citizens. • It builds consensus.

8. Concepts: Process moves people from personal visions to a shared vision.

9. Product is a statement that includes both what we value today and what we will look like in the future.

10. The future may be described in many terms: • Physical (growth and development) • Social (programs and people) • Financial (economy, taxes, budget) • Cultural (heritage, education, leisure)

11. Vision Statement Statement may be used to assess the compatibility of new initiatives and programs with the citizens’ ideas.

12. Steps: • Organize – “plan to plan” • Inventory – community assessment • Visioning workshops (preliminary goals) • Celebration • Continuation of the planning process

13. Organizing for Visioning • Outreach • Media plan • The program and process • People and materials • Logistics

14. Techniques and Methods: • Limited resources: • Questionnaires • Workshop: • Brainstorming • Scenario building • SPOT or TOPS analysis • Focus groups

15. Techniques and Methods: • Moderate to high resources: • Multiple workshops to focus on specific topics • Design charettes • Cognitive mapping • Image preference surveys • Photographic journals

16. Questionnaires: • Mail • Newspaper • Workshop • Questions to elicit information on what people treasure, what obstacles are present, what changes should occur, etc.

17. Brainstorming: • Generate ideas • Discuss and reach consensus on the issues and ideas • Prioritize the issues • Can address multiple topics: treasures, strengths, obstacles, weaknesses, opportunities, threats, plans, and strategies

18. SWOT Analysis • Strengths • Weaknesses • Opportunities • Threats

19. TOPS Analysis • Treasures • Obstacles • Plans • Strategies

20. Scenarios: • Imagine different futures: • Extending current trends • Conditions/economy/quality of life get worse • Specific new future(s) • Choose a scenario – determine how to achieve it

21. Focus groups: • Conduct any of these activities with individual groups that focus on a topic, area, or issue (Chamber of Commerce, neighborhood, mobility, for example)

22. Design charettes: • Solve design problems, such as downtown or a specific neighborhood • Consider architecture, urban design, styles of development • Use design professionals to support the program

23. Cognitive mapping: • “Mind map” • Identifying physical constraints • Identify community problem areas • Help understand physical relationships

24. Image preference surveys: • Compare different styles of development • Use paired photographic images • Questionnaires identify preferences

25. Photographic journal: • Individuals bring photos of treasured places and places that need change • Collect photos from other communities that represent a desired future

26. Almost last step in visioning: • Compile final results • Use a format to share and distribute (flyers, brochures, newspaper insert) • Hold a celebration

27. Celebration • Feedback – “did we get it right?” • Benchmarks – measure success of future plans and programs • Honor the participants • Build leadership for continued efforts

28. Visioning Exercises • Start the process to create a vision for your community • 2 brief exercises • Discuss the results of the exercises

29. Exercise #1 • Three basic visioning questions: • “What do you like?” • “What would you like to see changed?” and • “What do see 10 years in the future?”

30. Exercise #2 • Begin to develop your Visioning Program and Outreach Plan • Consider your municipality’s level of available resources • Identify visioning techniques • List the action steps to begin visioning • Identify ways to “get the word out” about the visioning process

31. Visioning DISCUSSION, NEXT STEPS & QUESTIONS