For many communities around the Sierra, small planning departments and large workloads are significant obstacles to innovation. To stimulate planning excellence in our region and provide a more convenient link to the real innovators in planning and development nationwide, SBC is researching and publishing an on-line directory of individuals and firms who are qualified and motivated to help communities in the Sierra implement Planning for Prosperity . Firms and individuals will be listed in the Planning for Prosperity Resources Directory if they have a track record of completing projects consistent with Planning for Prosperity principles. The Directory will help local planners find the right person or firm for their needs with only a few minutes of research and will link Sierra planners to other online planning resources in California and nationwide. In the last few years it has become obvious that the barriers to the implementation of Planning for Prosperity are more political than either technical or financial.
Innovation can be scary and politically risky for planners and politicians alike.
To reduce that perceived risk, and thereby accelerate planning innovation in our region, SBC will soon be launching a series of partnerships with local communities interested in implementing Planning for Prosperity . In each of the selected communities, we will outline our specific planning objectives then develop a customized set of strategies to achieve those objectives. Our strategies will run the gamut from convening advisory committees of local citizens and organizing design charettes to providing policy briefings for elected officials and revising local ordinances. By providing strategic, technical and political guidance to each of our partner communities, we expect to produce outcomes and models that will inspire others to follow.