Although “business as usual” is not an option today for most local governments, many continue to move forward with important projects, finding new and innovative ways to engage the public in planning for smarter growth. The Form-Based Codes Institute (FBCI) is partnering with the National Charrette Institute (NCI) to host a webinar series featuring the tools, techniques, and equity implications of virtual community engagement.
Last week, we hosted “Charrettes go virtual: Missoula, Montana hosts an online charrette to advance a community vision,” a joint webinar between the Form-Based Codes Institute and the National Charrette Institute. Speakers discussed a first-of-a-kind fully virtual community engagement process conducted for the Mullan Area Master Plan. A recording is now available.
Austin, Texas, has ambitious goals to make the city’s downtown more affordable to live in and a better place for businesses.
Planners in the city have spent the past four years compiling a master plan for development, to address existing challenges and to plan for growth over the next 25 years. The resulting Downtown Austin Plan, due to go before the city council this week, recommends a number of smart growth strategies for the city, including: improving downtown parks, adding lower-priced housing, preserving historic buildings, making zoning changes that would encourage a greater mix of uses and creating an economic development group to help guide growth in the city’s center.