Bringing reality to Reality Check: how will the Triangle region grow over the next twenty years?
Creators: name: Wiener, Jared C.
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2009

description: Reality Check is a visioning exercise at a regional level. It is structured as a game and has been conducted since 2002. The Triangle Region marks the ninth Reality Check exercise to be completed. The Triangle joins the ranks of Los Angeles, Dallas, Washington, DC, Maryland, Tampa, Charleston, SC, Phoenix, and Seattle as the regions that have conducted the exercise. The Triangle’s version of the Reality Check includes 15 of the 100 North Carolina Counties: Alamance, Chatham, Durham, Franklin, Granville, Harnett, Johnston, Lee, Moore, Orange, Person, Vance, Wake, Warren and Wilson. This area accounted for 22% of North Carolina’s population in 2000 and is estimated to account for 27% of the state’s population in 2030. The point of reality check is to bring together a diverse set of stakeholders, each with an interest in seeing how a region grows over this time. The issues of growth are complex and opinions within a region often differ from person to person. For instance, “If you are a County Commissioner in a rural county that is growing slowly, you are aggressively promoting growth, so you can generate more tax dollars… If your children face redistricting because of the need for new schools or you are sitting in a traffic jam”. These stakeholders or participants in the Reality Check exercise are leaders in various fields throughout the area. 8-10 of stakeholders worked together at a table to first establish guiding principles they will follow throughout the exercise. After 15 minutes to come up with the guiding principles (vision), they have 90 minutes to allocate the population and employment growth. They do this by placing legos (yellow for population and red for employment) into square grids that demarcate one square mile. Additionally, they use yarn to establish major transportation improvements (Purple for roads, orange for public transportation) and to protect open space (green). There is a facilitator with each team helping the participants by reminding them of their guiding principles, giving clock updates, and answering any questions that may arise. Additionally, there is a scribe who is taking notes of the participants’ actions and comments, as well as final observations and recommendations. Ultimately, Reality Check is a game conducted at a viewpoint of 30,000 feet over the area. Structuring Reality Check as a game allows for quick results and a relaxed atmosphere. However, it also replaces realism with simplicity. At 30,000 feet one-square mile units of measurement make sense, however, this limits the accuracy and preciseness of each action. It makes it difficult to determine whether the actions of the participants are realistic from a land use as well as a cost perspective. Additionally, the feasibility of infrastructure improvements is difficult to determine. Through a more detailed analysis of the region more comprehensive growth estimates can be created and models built to show the possibilities. Detailed cost estimates based on land use and land value can be used to create realistic cost estimates for policy decisions. And, through a big picture approach each model can be created, priced, and analyzed to show the benefits and drawbacks of each. This structure along with interviews and collaboration with planners and experts throughout the region will bring reality to Reality Check.