The Future of Planning – “Utah Style”

[M II A II R II K]

The Future of Planning – “Utah Style”


August 22, 2010

By David Boyd

Read More: http://citiwire.net/post/2218/

- SALT LAKE CITY — In the current economic climate it is not unusual to find local governments “tightening the belt” by curtailing activities not considered essential services. All too often this can mean the slashing of planning projects and departmental staff.

- But what we are seeing is that smart communities, like smart businesses, are using the laggard pace of the present economic downturn to lay the foundation for a high functioning and successful future. By engaging in highly participatory and increasingly regional-scale planning initiatives, these communities are developing the civic infrastructure necessary to succeed in the 21st century.

- A prime example is the Greater Wasatch Area of Utah. It includes 10 counties and over 90 cities and towns, sandwiched between the Wasatch Mountain Range and the Great Salt Lake — a 100-plus mile linear oasis bordered by rugged mountain terrain and desert, home to over 80 percent of Utah’s residents. It was settled in the early 1840′s by Mormons led by Joseph Smith, who conceived a plan for the area composed of one-mile square blocks with wide streets and interconnected villages limited to no more than 20,000 residents. These ideas were later implemented by Brigham Young, creating the pattern of development that today dominates Salt Lake City and its environs.

- In the late 1980s, a group of concerned civic leaders coalesced around the issues of environmental protection, economic development, and maintenance of quality of life. This group, the Coalition for Utah’s Future, would later forge the foundation for the organization known today as Envision Utah. Created in 1997, it brought together key public and private stakeholders to help to overcome the jurisdictional fragmentation and “bunker mentality” held among units of local government. A key element: giving local residents, by the power of scenarios and choice, the ability to shape planning and growth management issues within the region.

- Envision Utah’s first chairman was Robert Grow, a local business leader with strong collaborative leader skills. He explains:

“The Envision Utah Approach has become a way of life in Utah with its special blend of discovering and seeking to satisfy community values in all our planning and visioning, using scenarios of the future to show the public and officials the consequences of our collective choices, and leading change with diverse and trusted stakeholders and champions. This approach to problem solving and focusing precious civic and financial resources on highly leveraged strategies to preserve and enhance Utah’s quality of life is finding great acceptance as the best way to meet the challenges of tomorrow.”

- Most critically, the now tried and true Envision Utah “model” of fostering stakeholder involvement around scenario development and evaluation has helped to build a capacity for civic engagement that enables further community planning initiatives. “Envision Utah struck a chord when they recognized that many people cared about what they were leaving behind for their children”, says Brenda Scheer, Dean of the College of Architecture & Planning at the University of Utah. “The magic of Envision Utah is that everybody collaborates for common good, even though we may disagree on methods.”

- The net result: a vibrancy that is lacking in so many other regions of our nation today. As a practicing professional planner, I’ve found it refreshing to visit a region that is so intently focused on moving forward with high value placed on the quality of civic engagement, and with leaders so committed to to the value of place — and collaborative decision making. In the words of Alan Matheson, executive director of Envision Utah: “There is a growing willingness to collaborate — among agencies, jurisdictions, organizations. Broad participation and collaboration are now the default mode for making significant regional decisions.”

[scottharding]

This is very cool. I've lived in downtown SLC for a little over 5 years now, and even in that short space of time, I have really seen the results of programs and efforts like this. It's kind of astounding what has happened in Salt Lake and the surrounding areas in the last half of this decade, and it's only created momentum. I think the next decade will really be impressive.

[Orlando]

I'm not sure if there has been really a dramatic impact by Envision Utah. I keep seeing more and more sprawl.

[i-215]

Envision Utah will never be Portland Metro. But the 'Utah style' is balance ... making fun, walkable places, trails, transit, and open space in the middle of sprawl. Versus L.A. which is 100% houses and shopping centers, or Portland which chokes it's city into an urban growth boundary.

It's a balance of practicality, not some professor's ideological vision. Remember, Utah is the heart of the pro-"property rights" belt. The very fact we have an excellent rail system in the works, cool bike trails, and some walkable areas in the work is ... well, nothing short of amazing. And even pro-sprawlists like me like the work Envision Utah does.

[Orlando]

Originally Posted by i-215

Envision Utah will never be Portland Metro. But the 'Utah style' is balance ... making fun, walkable places, trails, transit, and open space in the middle of sprawl. Versus L.A. which is 100% houses and shopping centers, or Portland which chokes it's city into an urban growth boundary.

It's a balance of practicality, not some professor's ideological vision. Remember, Utah is the heart of the pro-"property rights" belt. The very fact we have an excellent rail system in the works, cool bike trails, and some walkable areas in the work is ... well, nothing short of amazing. And even pro-sprawlists like me like the work Envision Utah does.

Are there specific developments or planning that is directly a result from Envision Utah?

[SLC Projects]

The last decade ( 2000-2009 ) has been kind of slow and well.....boring when it comes with downtown SLC developments. Sure we were off to a great start in 2000 with the new 12-story Marriott Hotel on State, The 24-story Grand America Hotel on Main and Gateway. Then things slowed down and for a long time nothing really happen. Just alot of planning, talking and proposals. It wasn't til 2008 we started seeing tower cranes rising again in the Salt Lake City's skyline. And now three years later Salt Lake City has three new highrises with more to follow soon I hope.
I have high hopes this next decade ( 2010-2020 ) we will see alot of great things for downtown SLC.

[i-215]

Originally Posted by Orlando

Are there specific developments or planning that is directly a result from Envision Utah?

Envision works with the regional planners, and suggests ideas that end up on the 30 year plan. So, in a way, yes: UTA TRAX, regional bike trails are two.