Community Planning
A community is much more than a physical place. It’s a sense of connection to that place, fostered by the right amenities and mutual respect between its residents. When proper resources are invested in planning a community, its benefits are more effective and accessible for all. Our community planning specialists strive for these results with every project we take on.
We design amenities and facilities to connect everyone, bolstering communities with a feeling of authenticity that residents can continue to enjoy decades from now. By examining what makes your community unique and working directly with you and other public entities throughout the process, we ensure communities are planned with quality of life as priority one.
What Is Community Planning?
Community planning is a complex field. Plans implement effective strategies to improve and shape the environments within a community. Our professionals play a pivotal role, streamlining the process and helping manage individual steps based on your needs. With this tailored approach, we ensure that plans accomplish more than what a community needs now; they also help communities plan for the distant future.
Successful projects start with a comprehensive understanding of the community. This includes knowledge of the community’s history, local businesses and culture. These factors present unique challenges for every project, but also opportunities to tailor the plan accordingly. Community planners will collect input from the residents themselves as well as other public organizations and even government agencies. Collaboration is essential for a community plan to accurately reflect a diverse collection of ideas and goals.
By bringing together all the stakeholders and incorporating their perspectives, community plans are guided toward livability, sustainability, and long-term resilience. McClure can offer our expertise for research, analysis, communication, collaboration, and every other vital step for success.
How McClure Approaches Your Community Planning Project
An essential aspect of community planning involves exhaustive research and analysis of the site. Our planners gather information on existing conditions, including land use, infrastructure, and available natural resources. We’ll identify any trends and challenges likely to inform planning decisions. After that, we’ll review available planning techniques and best practices, finding which options offer the most strengths. Maybe your project needs special attention for zoning regulations or engaging urban design. Furthermore, our community planners possess a keen understanding of local regulatory frameworks. You can let us navigate complex zoning codes, environmental regulations, and building standards, along with other legal requirements.
Finally, Â we closely collaborate with other professionals for insight on other elements involved with the project. These specialists could include:
- Landscape architects
- Urban designers
- Civil engineers
- Architects
- Market Analysis
- Public Engagement Facilitators
Case Study – Reinvigorating West Monroe, Louisiana
We created an updated master plan for West Monroe’s downtown area to reflect the community’s changing needs. The plan included recommendations for improving the streetscape, such as enhancing walkability, reducing traffic speeds, and adding both bike lanes and safer pedestrian crossings.
We also suggested repaving some streets as one-way roads, implementing high-visibility crosswalks, and creating a cohesive design for signage. Through these new ideas and West Monroe’s existing strengths, we helped truly refresh and unify the downtown district.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some more specific examples of community planning?
- Land-Use Planning and Zoning: Allocating land for different purposes and establishing regulations for their development.
- Environmental Planning: Focuses on protecting and enhancing the local environment while managing their natural resources.
- Corridor Planning: Develop efficient, safe, and sustainable multi-modal networks that facilitate the movement of people and goods.
These examples illustrate specific areas of community planning and the associated tasks involved in each one.
What are the five steps for community development planning?
- Community Involvement: Engage community members, stakeholders, and organizations to gather input, insights, and concerns throughout the planning process.
- Comprehensive Planning: Analyze the community’s current conditions, needs, and aspirations across various aspects, such as land use, transportation, housing, and environmental resources.
- Strategic Planning: Set goals, objectives, and priorities based on the comprehensive analysis, establish a vision for the community’s future, and develop strategies to achieve it.
- Project Planning: Identify and plan specific projects and initiatives in detail, including scoping, timelines, budgets, implementation strategies, partnerships, permits, and risk assessment.
- Grant Application: Research grant opportunities, develop compelling applications, and secure funding to support community development projects.
- Project Implementation/Completion: Coordinate project activities, manage contractors, ensure compliance, oversee progress, address challenges, and successfully complete projects.
What should the core objectives be for community planning projects?
While specific goals depend on each project’s individual needs, there are a few overarching objectives every professional planner strives for:
- Meet local needs and work within existing local conditions: Community planning projects should address the specific needs and characteristics of the community, taking into account local conditions.
- Consensus building: Our approach is focused on the development of a community vision based upon stakeholder engagement. Community buy-in is essential to the long-term success of the plan.
- Encourage investment and growth without sacrificing livability and sustainability: A quality plan fosters economic development while maintaining a livable and sustainable community. We have a duty to balance growth with considerations for quality of life, social equity, and environmental preservation.
Community Planning
A community is much more than a physical place. It’s a sense of connection to that place, fostered by the right amenities and mutual respect between its residents. When proper resources are invested in planning a community, its benefits are more effective and accessible for all. Our community planning specialists strive for these results with every project we take on.
We design amenities and facilities to connect everyone, bolstering communities with a feeling of authenticity that residents can continue to enjoy decades from now. By examining what makes your community unique and working directly with you and other public entities throughout the process, we ensure communities are planned with quality of life as priority one.
What Is Community Planning?
Community planning is a complex field. Plans implement effective strategies to improve and shape the environments within a community. Our professionals play a pivotal role, streamlining the process and helping manage individual steps based on your needs. With this tailored approach, we ensure that plans accomplish more than what a community needs now; they also help communities plan for the distant future.
Successful projects start with a comprehensive understanding of the community. This includes knowledge of the community’s history, local businesses and culture. These factors present unique challenges for every project, but also opportunities to tailor the plan accordingly. Community planners will collect input from the residents themselves as well as other public organizations and even government agencies. Collaboration is essential for a community plan to accurately reflect a diverse collection of ideas and goals.
By bringing together all the stakeholders and incorporating their perspectives, community plans are guided toward livability, sustainability, and long-term resilience. McClure can offer our expertise for research, analysis, communication, collaboration, and every other vital step for success.
How McClure Approaches Your Community Planning Project
An essential aspect of community planning involves exhaustive research and analysis of the site. Our planners gather information on existing conditions, including land use, infrastructure, and available natural resources. We’ll identify any trends and challenges likely to inform planning decisions. After that, we’ll review available planning techniques and best practices, finding which options offer the most strengths. Maybe your project needs special attention for zoning regulations or engaging urban design. Furthermore, our community planners possess a keen understanding of local regulatory frameworks. You can let us navigate complex zoning codes, environmental regulations, and building standards, along with other legal requirements.
Finally, Â we closely collaborate with other professionals for insight on other elements involved with the project. These specialists could include:
- Landscape architects
- Urban designers
- Civil engineers
- Architects
- Market Analysis
- Public Engagement Facilitators
Case Study – Reinvigorating West Monroe, Louisiana
We created an updated master plan for West Monroe’s downtown area to reflect the community’s changing needs. The plan included recommendations for improving the streetscape, such as enhancing walkability, reducing traffic speeds, and adding both bike lanes and safer pedestrian crossings.
We also suggested repaving some streets as one-way roads, implementing high-visibility crosswalks, and creating a cohesive design for signage. Through these new ideas and West Monroe’s existing strengths, we helped truly refresh and unify the downtown district.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some more specific examples of community planning?
- Land-Use Planning and Zoning: Allocating land for different purposes and establishing regulations for their development.
- Environmental Planning: Focuses on protecting and enhancing the local environment while managing their natural resources.
- Corridor Planning: Develop efficient, safe, and sustainable multi-modal networks that facilitate the movement of people and goods.
These examples illustrate specific areas of community planning and the associated tasks involved in each one.
What are the five steps for community development planning?
- Community Involvement: Engage community members, stakeholders, and organizations to gather input, insights, and concerns throughout the planning process.
- Comprehensive Planning: Analyze the community’s current conditions, needs, and aspirations across various aspects, such as land use, transportation, housing, and environmental resources.
- Strategic Planning: Set goals, objectives, and priorities based on the comprehensive analysis, establish a vision for the community’s future, and develop strategies to achieve it.
- Project Planning: Identify and plan specific projects and initiatives in detail, including scoping, timelines, budgets, implementation strategies, partnerships, permits, and risk assessment.
- Grant Application: Research grant opportunities, develop compelling applications, and secure funding to support community development projects.
- Project Implementation/Completion: Coordinate project activities, manage contractors, ensure compliance, oversee progress, address challenges, and successfully complete projects.
What should the core objectives be for community planning projects?
While specific goals depend on each project’s individual needs, there are a few overarching objectives every professional planner strives for:
- Meet local needs and work within existing local conditions: Community planning projects should address the specific needs and characteristics of the community, taking into account local conditions.
- Consensus building: Our approach is focused on the development of a community vision based upon stakeholder engagement. Community buy-in is essential to the long-term success of the plan.
- Encourage investment and growth without sacrificing livability and sustainability: A quality plan fosters economic development while maintaining a livable and sustainable community. We have a duty to balance growth with considerations for quality of life, social equity, and environmental preservation.
Where We Make an Impact
McClure welcomes the opportunity to support your vision with the documentation of a vibrant plan and implementation strategy to support the enhancement of your community’s unique opportunities.
WHERE WE MAKE AN IMPACT
McClure welcomes the opportunity to support your vision with the documentation of a vibrant plan and implementation strategy to support the enhancement of your community’s unique opportunities.
