282 replies to this topic

[Cotuit]

From the city's website: Providence Tomorrow [pdf]

Nothing much, just a pdf of a powerpoint.

[Cotuit]

Ok then, let's plan to meet on Friday the 21st at 5pm-ish, location TBD. If Friday we decide we want to continue, we'll plan something for Saturday at that time.

On the 26th we can aim to meet at 5pm-ish at RWP before the Providence Tomorrow Workshop.

In the interim we can discuss ideas, goals, hopes, dreams... in this thread.


I'd also just like to say, that though the Providence Tomorrow meetings are for Providence residents, and we're stepping up our organization in reaction to it. I don't want any formal organization that may come out of this to exclude people from outside of Providence. In fact, though Providence will probably always be our primary issue, I'd like us as a group of Urbanists to be able to comment on things outside Providence, in Pawtucket, Warwick, Newport... I hope that we can become a state-wide advocacy for urbanism and smart growth with a primary, but not sole, focus on Providence.

And just because I moderate the forum, doesn't mean I have to be the chief of whatever organization end up creating, in fact I'd probably rather not be. I'm too shy.  

[citybuilder]

glassandsteel, on Jul 14 2006, 11:08 AM, said:

Does anybody in this forum have any prior experience with this sort of process?

I was at a neighborhood meeting with Linda Painter, who is coordinating the P2M process, this week, so we got the verbal commentary that goes with the powerpoint that DPD just posted.

The process for P2M will be based on Dynamic Planning, which is the charrette approach developed/maintained/taught by the National Charrette Institute (www.charretteinstitute.org).

I'm not sure you (collectively or individually) need to have prior experience in order to be effective in this process. But you do need to show up and be articulate at the citywide charrette(s) themselves (Fall/Winter 06).

From my understanding, the kickoff on the 26th is to introduce the process and the background information (Providence Plan is doing the demographic/statistical analysis now). Their will be brainstorming sessions in smaller groups, but that may be more practice, to give people a taste of the process - and the facilitators some real-world exercise - in advance of the "real deal".

So UP may want to adjust their effort and position development accordingly.

There will also be neighborhood charrettes starting in early '07. The 25 neighborhoods will be grouped into some logical groupings so that DPD can actually get all the meetings done.

Edited by citybuilder, 14 July 2006 - 04:31 PM.

[Cotuit]

citybuilder, on Jul 14 2006, 06:29 PM, said:

I'm not sure you (collectively or individually) need to have prior experience in order to be effective in this process. But you do need to show up and be articulate at the citywide charrette(s) themselves (Fall/Winter 06).

Oh we'll show up!  

The planning part isn't directly to take part in Providence Tomorrow, though I feel many of us would like to have a group agenda to put forward as part of Providence Tomorrow. The goal is to morph into a sort of city-wide (or state-wide) advocacy group that backs strong ideas of urbanism. Depending on how far people want to take things, we could be looking at creating a commitee structure, applying for grants, publishing opinion pieces, hiring professionals to help us draft plans...

We definately want to be part of the planning process, but are looking toward creating a group that will follow and prod the outcome of the current planning through to completion.

Basically, rather than indivdually pointing to problems, we'd like to collectively be able to put forth possible solutions to said problems.

[Garris]

Cotuit, on Jul 14 2006, 05:13 PM, said:

Ok then, let's plan to meet on Friday the 21st at 5pm-ish, location TBD.

I can probably make that...  

That pdf actually has a nice framework for ways to organize thinking about certain issues and questions.  It's nice to know what the city is thinking (that document is reassuringly urban in its tone) and it'll be helpful to frame our desires and ideas using the broad conceptual outline they have there.

- Garris

Edited by Garris, 14 July 2006 - 05:08 PM.

[CtownMikey]

nah im working all night

[coleslaw]

OK is it just me???  Given all of the kick-offs and meetings that the City has had over the past 3 years about neighborhood plans and zoning that ended up going nowhere, do we really think that this is actually going to happen?

I have been to too many meetings and workshops that either evaporated or resulted in a product that people felt did not adequately reflect their hopes for a better City.

I hate to sound jaded, but I'm tired of watching hundreds of volunteer hours spent for naught.

[eltron]

I'll be there on the 26th...hopefully I can make it over a little early to meet up with the UP'ers.

[JimmyGreaves]

coleslaw, on Jul 17 2006, 10:20 AM, said:

OK is it just me???  Given all of the kick-offs and meetings that the City has had over the past 3 years about neighborhood plans and zoning that ended up going nowhere, do we really think that this is actually going to happen?

I have been to too many meetings and workshops that either evaporated or resulted in a product that people felt did not adequately reflect their hopes for a better City.

I hate to sound jaded, but I'm tired of watching hundreds of volunteer hours spent for naught.

The short answer is, we don't have a choice.  One could argue that the fact that the changes to the zoning regulations were put on hold means that the public input is having an effect on the administration.  From what I read in the public record and talking to neighborhood group people, the constant pressure to revise the comp plan first before the zoning revisions came from sustained public pressure.

However, we need even more people involved to really make this successful.  How many people do each of us know?  How many neighborhood association volunteers do we know?  We need to get as many people invovled as possible and show them an alternative to the development status quo.  Talk to them.  Emphasize the importance of smart urban planning.  We're all in favor of increases in affordable housing, more jobs, better access to transportation, better neighborhood services, and a more sustainable tax base that good urban planning provides.  It's up to us to keep talking about it and organize ourselves so that views supporting good urban development are heard.  Otherwise, Providence Tomorrow will be for naught.

[jencoleslaw]

just want to point out that coleslaw and jencoleslaw are two, unrelated persons, of which i am one. but not the other.

[Cotuit]

jencoleslaw, on Jul 17 2006, 11:36 AM, said:

just want to point out that coleslaw and jencoleslaw are two, unrelated persons, of which i am one. but not the other.

I was wondering about that. I was about to ban you for having two userIDs!  

[jencoleslaw]

Cotuit, on Jul 17 2006, 11:44 AM, said:

I was wondering about that. I was about to ban you for having two userIDs!  

you could have checked the IP address! i am curious who this coleslaw person is and whether or not i could "take" him/her.

[Cotuit]

jencoleslaw, on Jul 17 2006, 01:06 PM, said:

you could have checked the IP address!

I did, there weren't any matches.

[coleslaw]

Cotuit, on Jul 17 2006, 11:07 AM, said:

I did, there weren't any matches.

Sorry, I've used "coleslaw" for my handle in other web forums for years.  I can change it if you're feeling uncomfortable, Jen.

[Recchia]

coleslaw, on Jul 17 2006, 01:20 PM, said:

Sorry, I've used "coleslaw" for my handle in other web forums for years.  I can change it if you're feeling uncomfortable, Jen.

I always thought you were Jen's husband or something lol.

I should be able to make this Friday, but I can't the 26th, night meeting (of course).

Edited by Recchia, 17 July 2006 - 12:16 PM.

[jencoleslaw]

coleslaw, on Jul 17 2006, 01:20 PM, said:

Sorry, I've used "coleslaw" for my handle in other web forums for years.  I can change it if you're feeling uncomfortable, Jen.

its all good. just don't be surprised if you get tarred with the same brush, my friend.

[DaveRPI]

good idea in principle i guess. ive been to many charettes, many of them back in college, but i always had a few reservations about them

for planning purposes they seem great because issues are brought up and communicated to the locals, people feel like have an ownership in the future of their community, planning becomes easier in a sense because lots of little or unknown facts and local histories can be brought up in the planning process and problems can be forseen in some cases, and opposition can be seen on small scales so as to plan ahead because of its inevitability
on the other hand, things can sometimes become too specific and that does take a lot of creativity and artistic ability away from the architect and/or designers
specifics can also hold back planners and also hold back the greater good of the larger area of which a community is a part of

that said, its always fun to talk "what if's"

[jencoleslaw]

lest anyone missed this part:

Quote

The Providence Tomorrow workshop will not be all work, according to City officials. It will also include an Ice Cream Social and free raffle with door prizes.

[Cotuit]

Duh, why do you think I'm going? I don't care about the city's future, I just want ice cream!  

[mental757]

I am somewhat torn on whether I should attend - I don't live in Providence and in fact love my suburban locale, but I'm such a big backer of mass-transit and Providence (along with my beloved airport in Warwick) is the impetus of an improved State-wide (more efficient) system.  Don't get me wrong - I'd love to buy in 110 or in the city in general, but our young family isn't into city living (well the 3 other people in my family aren't).

I also want lots of tall buildings in Providence - hardly an unbiased 'vision of the future'

Edited by mental757, 17 July 2006 - 02:28 PM.