There’s no time for planning, we need to get the dirt flying!

* How to structure stakeholder engagement activities and decision points to align with critical paths of infrastructure construction projects;
* How to structure an action oriented stakeholder committee process while achieving broader community consensus
* Toolkits for implementation focused plans

How often have we heard as planners that there is no time for planning, or more often that there is no time to get the public involved in major projects that have the potential to have significant impacts on a community.  City staff are often caught between competing interests of elected officials who have promised their constituents that they will deliver on promised infrastructure improvements in short order, and the realities of design and construction timelines that leave little room for community engagement.  

The City of Waco is currently experiencing a renaissance in their Downtown, which has led to significant private sector interest in reinvestment in the area.  To support this reinvestment, the City is in the process of rebuilding the infrastructure in multiple sectors of Downtown.  Agreements between the City, partner public sector entities, and private developers are requiring extremely aggressive timelines for new infrastructure to be in place.  The City was faced with the challenge of engaging downtown stakeholders in a planning process focused on creating a built environment that enhanced Downtown Waco’s spirit of place, while maintaining critical construction timelines.

The City initiated an innovative planning approach that focused on achieving stakeholder consensus through an iterative process that allowed key decisions to inform the design process at critical points to keep the larger construction initiative on track.  The process built upon Waco’s strong foundation of grass roots organizations such as the East Waco Community, Creative Waco, and Waco Walks to make sure key voices were being heard.  The Final Downtown Implementation Master Plan provided the City with key design toolkits for mobility, public realm design and parking, and with needed direction on priorities and phasing.

This session is a must for conference attendees who are experiencing pressures to move projects forward quickly without an opportunity for meaningful public engagement.  Attendees will benefit from the following topics of interest:
•An overview of Downtown Waco and key initiatives leading to its renaissance.
•How to establish a streetscape “kit of parts” that accentuates the existing Genius Loci (Spirit of Place).
•How to establish a palette of context sensitive streets that contribute to connecting distinct places.
•Creating Innovative Parking Solutions for re-emerging downtown areas.
•How to structure stakeholder engagement activities and decision points to align with critical paths of infrastructure construction projects.
•How to structure an action-oriented stakeholder committee process while achieving broader community consensus
•Toolkits for implementation focused plans