Read here about the scope, tasks and the importance of your participation in Renaissance 1960 Corporation's Planning and Urban Design effort.

The planner's scope of work is: 

1.    Defining the overall Vision for the area;
2.    Defining the initial focus area contained within the overall corridor ranging from US HWY 249 and IH 45.
3.    Providing a general assessment of the community’s existing conditions through a visual survey, extant data search and interviews with various stakeholders representing all aspects of the community.
4.    Through a community process, identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing the community;
5.    Documenting priorities (current + future) for both physical improvements and economic development;
6.    Identify specific plan areas for expediting action;
7.    Identify security issues plus strategies to impact;
8.    Identify and advocate capital improvements, transportation, transit potentials;
9.    Identify and introduce an area urban design theme for public spaces inclusive of streetscape, landscape, pedestrian realm improvements;
10.  Drafting, then guide through adoption, a master plan and urban design planning document that establishes the guiding principles and the basic framework for community improvements that provide a common, cohesive appearance-philosophically, visually and environmentally while enhancing economic development.

Task 1
Assess the community’s existing conditions, through a visual survey, data research plus in depth interviews with members of the steering committee as well as through interviews with various stakeholders representing all aspects of the 1960 corridor area including those existing jurisdictions active along the corridor.

Task 2
Conduct a series of fact-finding, focus group meetings with various segments of the community.  The outcome of each of the sessions shall be an itemization of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing the community, as well as an assessment of public and private perceptions of the area and a listing of future priorities for both physical improvement and economic development.

Task 3
Prepare a summary report of key findings and a statement of opportunities and constraints.

Task 4
Provide to Client a compendium of the basic plan elements, including strategies for:
a)    Basic land use mix;
b)    Transportation and Transit;
c)    Community services and amenities;
d)    Overall community character;
e)    Visual enhancement of the public realm;
f)     Safety relating to the built environment;
g)    Plan administration and implementation.

Task 5
Provide a final printed document summarizing the process and preliminary plus final results including graphic exhibits, including an overall diagrammatic plan of the area and multiple pictorial vignettes illustrating key elements of the master plan’s strategy.

Preparing for LEED-ND Certification

Prepare a plan that will be an important part of the application for our area to be new LEED-ND certified. LEED-ND (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design - Neighborhood Development) certification would set our community apart from the norm on a national basis  As this is a new certifcation that has only been evaluated in pilot studies our planner will be working to create the Vision and Master Plan that will qualify for the future certification by the US Green Building Council. Click here to read about this new certification that will rolled out in 2009.