GUEST COLUMN.

Communities need planners now more than ever.

I have been a city planner for more than 40 years. You might call me an “accidental planner”.  I stumbled into the field, mostly thanks to my graduate advisor who was a planner himself. But once pointed in that direction, I didn’t just find a job. I found my calling.

I love what we as planners do. We are addressing some of the biggest challenges facing our communities today. We take what seems like disparate pieces of issues and help connect the dots between housing, health, land use, economics, mobility, infrastructure, and resiliency. Planners are pillars of democracy. We bring people together and collaborate to ensure decisions benefit the greater community and not a select few.

Engaging with a broad cross section of stakeholders, we turn community voices into community vision. We focus on legacy, and when we do our jobs well, we can make sure decisions don’t provide short-term wins at the expense of long-term or future problems. Planners see possibilities where many see problems.

The services we provide are particularly meaningful in a world that at times can feel chaotic and uncertain.  

Stewards of the Community

Planners bring a balanced view. An integral part of the planner’s job is to maintain an eye on the community’s long-term goals. We are trained to think about how today’s policies and decisions shape where people live not just today, but for the next 10, 20, or 50 years. Working with the community, we labor to understand their needs and desires. We help balance competing needs, identify long-term impacts, and align public investments with public priorities. We not only consider the potential, but also the outcomes. Planners are adept at translating community desires into actionable plans – helping the community move forward toward its long-term goal.

Consider Clarkston, Georgia, a fast-growing small community just east of Atlanta. Planners there worked with the public to understand how the location of a new greenway could improve mobility and access to goods and services, especially for community members who did not have readily available transportation. Through extensive outreach, including translating materials into 10 languages, planners helped ensure everyone could meaningfully participate in shaping the greenway’s goals, routes, and amenities to benefit the whole community, not a select few.

Though the project hasn’t been funded yet, based on this work the city has been seeking proposals for consultants to help with engineering design and right-of-way acquisitions.

Expert Insight

Planners see opportunities hidden inside challenges. By understanding the interconnectedness of a community, we’re able to provide our elected leaders with guidance on how to best advance long-term goals. This insight helps them be a part of implementing meaningful change.

The housing supply shortage is impacting every community throughout the country – urban, suburban, and rural. To help increase housing availability and affordability, planners are working to solve challenges at every stage of the housing lifecycle. In Fayetteville, Arkansas, planners are working to streamline residential construction in its downtown and Walker Park neighborhoods by offering pre-approved architectural designs. This effort aims to expedite the permitting process, encourage compatible infill development, and save residents time and money while providing new housing supply options.

Data-Driven

Our expertise comes from our ability to assess and understand the data about our community. We rely on a broad swath of data, including housing costs and vacancies, traffic patterns and congestion, pedestrian safety, and heat and flood vulnerabilities.

Having data is one piece of the puzzle but understanding the interconnectedness of myriad metrics and what the data means is where planners excel. We’re able to make recommendations that are informed, thorough, and adaptable based upon our data-driven insights.  

Incorporating science-based data about heat and flooding vulnerabilities, planners in Jacksonville, Florida, were able to assess and evaluate adaptation measures to create a more resilient city.  First, translating the data, planners helped residents understand the city’s flood risks and explore implementation opportunities. The plan provides a roadmap for adapting to climate change, managing population growth, and guiding urban development, helping Jacksonville to become safer and stronger.  

It Takes a Planner

I started this column by saying I love what planners do.  I count myself lucky to be leading the American Planning Association, the largest community of planners in the world (40,000+ members).   I love that the nature of the job means that my membership tends to be made up of optimists.

You have to be to focus on the future and take steps every day to get there.  To help our communities thrive despite the uncertainties we face, it takes a planner. Planners have the knowledge and the expertise our communities need now more than ever. Planners shape the spaces that shape people’s lives. We have the ability to navigate, negotiate, and communicate what’s important for our communities. Planners are skilled at leading through change. We work to create a community that is safe, resilient, and where everyone can thrive – a great community for all.

The contents of this Guest Column are those of the author, and not necessarily Barrett and Greene, Inc. 

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