They share their ideas of what type of neighborhood their neighborhood could be. The next step in the neighborhood planning process is the research. Staff conducts field surveys of the neighborhood, interviews town staff and other service delivery groups active in the neighborhood, reviews census data and incorporates residents' comments. The result is a neighborhood profile which staff presents to residents at the planning workshop.
Staff also presents a brief neighborhood profile.
The discovery and planning workshops are the residents' meetings. The residents identify issues, and then brainstorm ideas and strategies to deal with them. The staff set up a discussion framework, help the residents complete their work, and listen. This approach reflects a planning philosophy and a belief that working with the residents is the most effective way to set and achieve goals for a neighborhood. Several messages are conveyed to the residents at the workshops.