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DCA Office of Planning and Environmental Management

Planning and Sustaining Great Communities. DCA Office of Planning and Environmental Management. What Makes a Place Great?. Successful Communities Are Not Accidents. Leadership Dedicated staff and elected officials Involved citizens Commitment to a common vision.

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DCA Office of Planning and Environmental Management

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  1. Planning and Sustaining Great Communities DCAOffice of Planning and Environmental Management

  2. What Makes a Place Great?

  3. Successful Communities Are Not Accidents • Leadership • Dedicated staff and elected officials • Involved citizens • Commitment to a common vision

  4. Your Government’s Comprehensive Plan = The Vision to Which You’ve Committed • Should Guide Local Decisions • Your Community’s Roadmap to A Great Place • Can’t help you get THERE if you don’t use it

  5. But How Can a Plan for a Great Place Affect Economic Development? • Financial Impact: • Relocating businesses are searching for “Quality of Life” • Reduces financial strain on local governments by concentrating development in pre-determined areas

  6. What’s In the Community’s Plan that Will Help with Decision-Making? 3 parts- Assessment, Participation and Agenda Issues and Opportunities facing the community Defined Character Areas Implementation Measures Work Program

  7. Issues and Opportunities How will the community address the big issues and opportunities in the next five years? What differences do you want to see? What change can you affect in this timeframe?

  8. City of Covington Community Facilities and Services Issues 1. Meeting the Service Demands of Explosive Population Growth. Recently, the City has experienced rapid population growth, and this growth is expected to continue throughout the planning horizon. With that growth has come increasing demands for public services. Careful planning is required to ensure that adequate services are available over the next 20 years. 2. Diminishing Supply of Regional Water. Septic and land application systems are consumptive uses of water. As a result, there may be future political pressure to develop sewer systems with surface water discharges, as opposed to continued use of septic systems or land application systems. 3. Solid Waste Planning. Both the City and County currently are operating under a 1993 Solid Waste Master Plan. Under state law, the Solid Waste Master Plan will need to be updated by 2008.

  9. Future Development Map and Defining Narrative for Character Areas Describes what type of development you want, and where you want it Delineates what’s on the ground now Includes appropriate land uses for each character area

  10. Vision:Historic Downtown • Preserve its fundamental role as the focal point for the community: historically the center of commercial, social, and political life of its residents. All structures should have no setback and share a common façade when possible.

  11. Implementation Measures WHAT is the community willing to do to make the vision a reality? Regulate Invest Form Partnerships Offer Incentives

  12. Implementation Strategies(Historic Downtown) New development is required to be compatible with existing architecture (scale, ornamentation, roof pitch, footprint, etc.). Improve and widen sidewalks; create an area that is pleasant, safe and walkable. Street-front parking lots are not allowed. If necessary, make arrangements for parking (such as on-street parking, nearby parking lots, parking deck, shared parking, etc.). Encourage reuse of old and/or historic buildings. Persuade institutions and government offices (schools, post offices, etc.) to locate in the CBD, rather than out in strip commercial corridors. Encourage businesses to use sidewalk for outdoor dining to promote an active street. Actively recruit appropriate businesses.

  13. In this picture, can you find… • Public investment (at least three examples) • Private investment • Regulation • Incentive

  14. Georgia’s Quality Community Objectives Identify and care for the unique qualities of each community Provide options for each community to develop to its fullest potential Promote preservation of natural, historic, cultural, industrial and human resources Adopted by the DCA board in 2011

  15. Georgia’s Quality Community Objectives • Economic Prosperity • Resource Management • Efficient Land Use • Local Preparedness • Sense of Place • Regional Cooperation • Housing Options • Transportation Options • Educational Opportunities • Community Health

  16. Economic Prosperity Business recruitment based on community strengths and assets Economic development to enhance existing industry and community Support of entrepreneurs and existing business/industry

  17. Need More Proof? Richmond, Virginia — a Tier II metro — wins headquarters projects against much larger Tier I competitors, such as Charlotte and Atlanta. In headquarters site selection, quality of life plays a larger role in the ultimate decision than in most industrial projects, since many employees will relocate from outside the region. To beat Atlanta for MeadWestvaco’s headquarters, Richmond officials convinced the company that the area could offer all the cultural and educational amenities employees could want, with shorter commutes and lower housing costs. The area offers 10 colleges and universities, a fine arts museum, a science museum, and 400 years of history and architecture. “Does Community Size Matter in Business Success?” Michelle Cammarata, Area Development Online, October 2009

  18. Resource Management • Efficient use of all resources • Protect sensitive areas from negative impacts of development • Maintain natural terrain, drainage and vegetation where possible

  19. Efficient Land Use • Encourage minimizing land consumption • Encourage development or redevelopment of a community core. • Map the parcels in the community that are available for redevelopment (even if they’re not currently for sale) • Maximize the current public and private investment (roads, water, sewer, power, telecommunications) Between 1982 and 1997, the amount of urbanized land used for development in the United States increased by 45% (from 51 million acres to 76 million acres.) The population grew by 17%. (William Fulton, et al.)

  20. Local Preparedness • Adequate infrastructure to support projected growth • Planned Infrastructure investments to direct growth • Ordinances and other land use measures to promote desired development • Predetermined incentives for a variety of businesses and development types

  21. Sense of Place Preserving and enhancing the unique elements of a community can: Increase property values Increase tourism Increase civic involvement (consider popularity and property values of places like Savannah, Decatur, Athens, Charleston, Chattanooga)

  22. Where am I now?

  23. Regional Cooperation • Cooperate regionally to address shared needs • Common economic linkages • Manage Shared natural characteristics and resources

  24. Housing Options

  25. Where we live determines: Transportation options Commuting patterns Access to goods and services Educational opportunities Career opportunities Cash flow and discretionary income (which can then be spent in the community)

  26. Transportation Options Increase citizen mobility Increase economic opportunities for citizens and community Reduce automobile dependency Walking can be an option in our communities Decrease fuel costs Improve air quality Improve Public Health

  27. Where Would You Rather Walk?

  28. Policy Options to Increase Pedestrian Activity Consider alternatives to “traditional” zoning, which was meant to polarize activities Encourage closer location of schools, residences and businesses Examine current parking requirements Encourage redevelopment and infill options

  29. Educational Opportunities • Advanced education • Job Training • Region-specific opportunities • Online opportunities • Educational Partnerships

  30. Community Health • All citizens have access to community goods and services • Support disadvantaged citizens • Provide options for good health and healthy living • Provide citizens an opportunity to participate in the community

  31. First and Foremost: Plan for your community for YOUR citizens – you are the ones who call it home Economic Development is a STRATEGY of community building – not the end game No one person or single organization can do it all alone

  32. We’re All in this Together:Other Community Players to Involve Education professionals Elected officials Existing business community City and county community development/zoning/building inspection staff Conservation organizations Housing advocates

  33. Office of Planning and Environmental ManagementResources Community Planning Institute Resource Team technical assistance Water First Best Practices and Georgia Examples Comprehensive Planning Solid Waste Planning

  34. Annaka Woodruff Office of Planning and Environmental Management 706-566-4200 Annaka.woodruff@dca.ga.gov

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