REGION 2020: NEIGHBORHOODS and COMMUNITIES
WHAT
• To develop a region that is rich in strong, diverse, beautiful, and safe
neighborhoods, towns, and cities in which to live and work; where community
leaders and citizens cooperate and interact to maximize and safeguard resources;
and where communities are preserved and revitalized as humanly scaled, walkable
places.
• To develop a region that preserves, enhances, protects and promotes its
historic, cultural and natural resources.
• To develop a region with a strong and effective local and regional emphasis
in planning, zoning, and enforcement that will create an attractive and
safe place to live and work, and manage urban and suburban growth while
preserving
natural and protecting natural resources.
WHY
• To develop informed citizens.
• To create a sense of ownership of solutions.
• To improve neighborhoods and communities;
• To engage stakeholders.
• To preserve historic and natural resources.
• To eliminate duplication of services.
• To coordinate efforts between what we build and how we move through the
region.
• To create more efficient use of resources.
• To share information about transportation, infrastructure and land use
issues.
• To contain sprawl in the region.
• To redevelop existing areas, such as strip shopping centers, consistent
with development and preservation policies.
• To develop regional policies derived and revalidated through citizen participation.
WHO SHOULD BE INVOLVED
• Citizens of the region
• Region 2020 Places workgroup members
• Birmingham Regional Planning Commission (BRPC)
• Other regional planning commissions
• The Auburn Center for Architecture and Urban Studies (AUCAUS)
• Professional organizations and associations Regional stakeholders
• Historical societies, historic development commissions, historical preservation
planners
• Representatives of public agencies
• Business representatives
• State officials
WHO WILL BENEFIT
• Everyone who lives, works and visits in the region
• Communities
• Cities
• Counties
• The region
• Municipal governments
• Economic development agencies
HOW
Strategy
Establish an ongoing, region-wide citizen participation process that
provides for debate and determination of public policies relating
to the built
and natural environment, and that includes an educational process
that results
in informed stakeholders.
Formulate a framework for the development and preservation of neighborhoods
and communities throughout the region with policies that value
human, environmental and historic resources.
Develop a regional land-use, transportation and infrastructure
development plan that encourages responsible development and
preserves historic
and natural resources in the region.
Related strategies: Alternative
Modes of Transportation; Preservation
of Natural Resources and Citizen Involvement
Action Steps
Region 2020 Will form a regional Neighborhoods and Communities
Steering Committee that includes members from the Places workgroup
to develop
more detailed
plans, including budgets, for each of the three strategies.
The three strategies are integrally related,
and the process is perpetual.
It is essential that
the strategies inform each other on a continuing basis and
that the
process continues indefinitely as goals and needs within
the region change.
The Steering Committee, working with staff from Region 2020,
the Auburn University Center for Architecture and Urban Studies
(AUCAUS)
and
the Birmingham Regional
Planning Commission (BRPC), will define the structure, role
and budget for the three strategies, including a proposed
Planning and Design
Center as
a joint venture between BRPC and AUCAUS. The Planning and
Design Center will provide planning arid design services
in support
of Region 2020
initiatives.
Region 2020, with the Steering Committee,
will draft a formal plan for an ongoing, region-wide citizen participation
process
with
an educational component. The Steering Committee will
work with BRPC, other planning commissions from the region and AUCAUS to
draft development
and preservation
policies that
are applicable throughout the region.
The policies will
be derived from the Region 2020 Goals and Strategies and
revalidated
through
the Citizen
Participation
Process.
Regional planning commissions and the Planning and Design
Center will develop implementation guidelines to translate
the policies
into action.
The Steering Committee will work with planning commissions
from the region to determine the scope, methodology
and budget for
developing a regional
land-use plan. The plan will include:
1. The collection and mapping of data
2. An analysis of existing conditions
3. The production of a conceptual plan for development
of the region
Region 2020 will seek the support of the Regional
Roundtable of Elected Officials for the land-use
plan.
Planning commissions will assist, as requested, in
creating, reviewing and modifying the plans of local
governments
that reflect the
regional land-use
plan and development policies.
Role of Region 2020
• To convene the Neighborhoods and Communities Steering
Committee
• To assist in the development of budgets for the
strategies
• To assist in the development of the ongoing regional,
educational Citizen Participation Plan.
• To support the creation of a Planning and Design
Center
• To seek the support of the Regional Roundtable
of Elected Officials for the land-use plan.
• To monitor the progress of the effort.
Costs
Costs for developing the Citizen Participation
Plan are to be determined.
$250,000 to $500,000 annually to establish the
Planning and Design Center.
$300 ,000 to $500,000 initially I $200,000
to $300,000 annually for the land-use plan.
Further Information
The Workgroup wants to reiterate the
importance of significant participation from stakeholders
throughout the region.
See the workgroup report for information
on planning and design center models in
other cities.
Note: The workshop process resulted in the
combination of three Region 2020 sub-topics:
Neighborhoods
and Communities, Planning
and Zoning
and Historic
Preservation.
