Plan Making Flashcards
Best way to solicit citizen input in plan making
Neighborhood group leaders and citizen committees
Most effective way to generate adequate citizen participation
Developing a multi-faceted public information program
Common citizen surveys
Mailed - inexpensive but slow
Telephone - fast, cheaper but some do not have phones and must have interviewers
In-person - works well but very expensive and could be bias
Charrette
Intensive interactive problem-solving process convened around development of specific plans. Experts within and outside community.
Citizen Advisory Committee
Citizens groups presumed to represent the ideas and attitudes of local residents. Purpose to advise planning agency.
Planners primary obligation
serve the public interest
Citizen referendum
citizens vote their approval or disapproval of a public measure by official ballot.
Delphi technique
used to develop consensus between two or more groups that are in conflict. Develop goals & objectives. Group facilitation skills.
Focus groups
Representative sample of a community. Facilitated in an informal setting directed toward a specific subject.
Ladder of Citizen Participation: Sherry R. Arnstein
Defines citizen participation in terms of amount of control citizens have over policy decision. Without distribution of power, citizen participation is “empty ritual”
Factors that are important in determining population projections
Migration, birth rate, death rate
Tiger file
Digital database of geographic features, such as roads, railroads, rivers, lakes, legal boundaries, census statistical boundaries, etc. covering the entire US
Cohort survival method of population projection
The study of a group by a specific characteristic (age, grade, income) increased by the rate that group survives into the next year
Housing Unit Method (HUM)
A process of using housing data for population projections
Symptomatic indicators
Data series such as building permits that are reflective of population change and can be used in developing current population estimates
Composite method for estimating populations
Takes various age groups and determines the estimate for each, then aggregates them together
Constant share technique
Assumes that the portion of a sample’s type (people, age occupation, animal, etc.) in a given population/area will remain the same over time
Shift share technique
A projection for employment. Population takes into account the shift/movement of jobs and people from or to a community.
Floodplain map
A map that shows the vulnerability of a flood according to the 100 year flood
Soil Map
A map showing the distribution of soil types or other soil mapping units in a relation to the prominent and cultural features of the earth’s surface
Soil Profile
A cross section of the earth’s showing the makeup of the soil layers
Agency responsible for soil map database
NRCS (National Resource Conservation Service) division of US Department of Agriculture
Agency responsible for floodplain maps
FEMA
USGS orthophoto
An aerial photograph that has been altered in such a way that the lens distortions are removed and so that it may be scaled for mapping purposes
Scale of a USGS orthophoto
1:12,000
Electronic town meeting
Electronic tool used to gather public feedback on the WTC proposals
USGS topoographic map
Scale 1:24,000, 1:25,000, 1:50,000, 1:100,000, 1:250,000
Only map to cover the entire US in detail
USGS topographic map
First year the USGS topographic map was produced
1879
topographical map
A map that uses contour lines to portray the shape and elevation of the land. Topographic maps render the three-dimensional ups and downs of the terrain on a two-dimensional surface
Information on topographical map
Both natural and manmade features. Natural features include mountains, valleys, plains, lakes, rivers, and vegetation. Man made features include roads, boundaries, transmission lines, and major buildings.
How man USGS topographic maps are there total
55,000
Plan making
A three-part process including 1) goals and visions, 2) analysis of current problems, 3) creation of alternatives
Visioning
A process whereby citizens attend a series of meetings that provide the opportunity to offer input on how the community could be in the future
Strategic planning
Sort-term in focus and specific in accomplishing certain objectives. Used to assist an organization in guiding its future. Strategic planning sets goals, objectives, and policies for reaching the set objectives
Goal
A general statement that may not be realized, but is something towards which to strive.
Objective
A more specific and attainable statement
Survey
Research method that allows one to collect data on a topic that cannot be directly observed. Surveys are used extensively in planning to assess attitudes and characteristics of the public on a wide range of topics.
Cross-sectional survey
Gathers information about a population at a single point in time
Longitudinal survey
gathers information about a population over a period of time
Written surveys
Mailed, printed in a newspaper, administered in a group setting, or other method. Used when trying to obtain information from a broad audience. Low cost but typically low response rate.
Group-administered surveys
Used for specific populations. Allows a high and quick response rate. This survey method requires a small sample size.
Drop-off survey
Survey left at someone’s residence or business to be completed. Response rates are higher than mail surveys because of personal contact with the respondent. Expensive due to time required to distribute. Sample size smaller than mail surveys.
Phone/oral interview surveys
Useful for yes/no answers. Allows follow up on answers. Response rate varies greatly. Expensive method because of time to complete. Can be biased by interaction with the interviewer. Difficult to use long questions and multiple answers with this method.
Electronic surveys
Growing in popularity. Administered on web or via email. Inexpensive method that can generate quick responses. This method has a higher response rate than written or interview surveys. Downside is that it will not reach people without internet access.
Floor Area Ratio (FAR)
the ration of the gross floor area of the building to its ground area. Used primarily to determine building density on a site or the size of a building in relation to the size of the lot in which it sits