Month: April 2015

BECOMING RESILIENT

Posted on by Julia Havens


flower-in-cement-smallest-blog

Jumping into hazardous situations seems to be a common theme for me. I like to take on challenges and learn new things so joining this project on an unfamiliar subject of natural hazard planning was no different for me. This term, in Community Planning Workshop, I have had the pleasure of working on the Natural Hazard Code Review for Deschutes County. This project is a contracted project through the Community Service Center under the advisement of Michael Howard (Oregon Partnership for Disaster Resilience) and Robert Parker.  I was very excited to join this project with my newfound interest in natural hazard planning and planning for communities to be resilient.

So what is resilience? Resilience is the ability to anticipate, absorb, adapt to and recover from disruptions. The first part to becoming resilient is to be able to anticipate disruptions and be prepared. Currently, Deschutes County contains 96% of its land in a wildfire hazard area and multiple rivers are determined by the National Flood Insurance Program to be special flood hazard zones. The County uses multiple measures to help mitigate risk in these hazard areas such as restriction of development structures in the floodplain, Project Wildfire, a non-regulatory program that works with residents and the community to help educate and mitigate against fire hazards, and also through regulation in their building and land development codes.

In this project for Deschutes County, we are reviewing the County Development Code in regards to flood and wildfire risk and determining options, either regulatory or non-regulatory programs, that could further help reduce risk to life and property from these hazards. We are collecting research from model ordinances, case studies and best practices to compare with current policies and programs in Deschutes County. We are discovering programs and policies that could increase flood and wildfire protection in subdivisions, destination resorts and single-family homes. We will then present these options to the Planning Commission to receive their feedback and eventually present our final report to the Board of County Commissioners in May.

Planning for natural hazard mitigation and resilience is both important and necessary to ensure protection of life and property. I am lucky to work with a wonderful group of team members who continue to remain passionate, determined and always with a sense of humor to keep our spirits high and our focus strong on achieving the best possible mitigation strategies for the County. While I am working towards helping this community become resilient in the face of natural disasters, I am becoming resilient myself with this new, challenging and immensely interesting project.

 

Erin Horan CPW Community Planning Workshop Deschutes Natural Hazards Code Review Team OPDR Oregon Partnership for Disaster ResilienceAbout the Author: Erin Horan is a Master’s in Community Regional Planning student interested in sustainable design and active transportation. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Erin received her Bachelor’s in Science degree in Business Administration with a Concentration in Finance. She worked for the City of Gilroy for three years in the Finance Department before deciding to pursue a career in Planning. During her free time Erin enjoys exploring the beautiful outdoors in the Pacific Northwest with her boyfriend, dog, and bike. She is also a San Francisco Giants and 49ers enthusiast!

Ten Ways YOU Can Be Successful at Your Next Community Workshop

Posted on by Julia Havens

Allie Breyer Community Planning Workshop CPW Lake County Parks and Recreation Master Plan

Well, you’ve decided to host a community workshop. Whether you are doing a Parks and Recreation Master Plans (like us) with the Community Planning Workshop (CPW) or are just hosting one because you have to because you are mandated to by law, there will be some point in your professional career when you will need to get input for community projects!

You may be asking yourself, “But, Allie, can’t I just show up at a meeting with some snacks and flip charts and just wing it?” Or “Allie, do I really need tips to host a community workshop- what can go wrong?”

To answer your questions: No, you can’t just show up (Unless of course, you hate planning. In which case, maybe this isn’t your true calling). And, yes you need these tips because everything can go wrong. But never fear! You’ve come to the right place to plan your next beautifully planned and well-executed community workshop.

10. Get to know the community before you get there.

Maybe you’ve never been to your community before. Maybe you have no idea what to expect, what the people are like, or who the important stakeholders are in the community. The first thing you need to do is research! Look at Census data, talk to the client, and really just get a feel for what is happening in the community.

9. Get to know your community, but don’t make any assumptions or assume you know what is best for the community.

Leave your assumptions at the door and really just go there and listen to what people have to say.

8. Plan, plan, plan. When you think you’ve planned enough, you should probably plan a little bit more.

In the wise words of the sage Bob Parker, you get what you plan for. Do you want a great, insightful, full of community members and input, workshop? Well, have you planned for a great, insightful, full of community members and input workshop? Ask yourself what kind of things you are looking to get from a workshop that you couldn’t get from any ol’ random household survey. What kind of activities do you want? How many people do you want to be there? How will you set up groups and activities? Thinking through and planning for all these things will be your best friend when you get to step five…

7. After planning, then you prep!

You’ve planned the perfect workshop. Now you will need all those things to make it happen. Pens, paper, flipcharts, post-its, snacks plates, cups, etc. You need to get that all ready. You also need someone to plan who is going to do what and when. This will save you a headache in the future.

6. Realize that many of your plans may crumble, but that’s okay.

Well, you did all this planning. You thought through all the minute details, and you think you even planned for the person who shows up trying to throw your workshop off course. Yet, there will probably be things you could have never planned for. What if the person doesn’t show up to unlock the door? What if people don’t show up until two minutes before it is supposed to start? Remember to always be flexible even when things don’t go as planned.

5. FINALLY: Workshop time!

Finally, the Holy Grail of days has arrived. Keep in mind all of your plans and try not to freak out. There will be a lot going on and a lot of things to remember. But never fear, you planned tight so you can facilitate loose. Oh, and remember to take lots of notes and pictures of everything.

4. Remember you are there to facilitate. You aren’t there to make decisions; you are there to listen to comments, concerns, and community desires.

See: Step Two. You are there as a facilitator, not a community member. You are there for them, not your own point of view.

3. After the workshop is over, remember to genuinely thank the participants and make connections with them.

Now that you have a room full of new friends you should thank them for attending. Some people may want a follow up, so remember to note that too.

2. Look out to the horizon!

Whew, it is all over. You made it! Not so bad, huh? So now that you’ve thrown this amazing workshop, what will you do next? What are the next steps? How will you get there? You are an amazing planner, after all.

1. Last but not least, HAVE FUN!

Remember how much work you put into this? And how tired you and your team are? Well did you have fun? Truly, it is an inspiring experience to see community members feel interact and be engaged on a topic that is important to them.

 

Allie Breyer Community Planning Workshop CPW Lake County Parks and Recreation Master PlanAbout the Author: Allie Breyer is a second year Master of Public Administration student with a focus in environmental policy and planning. She hails from the great state of Minnesota and moved to Oregon seeking education, experience, and adventure. Allie is particularly interested in local government planning, and how government entities can plan for both vibrant communities and healthy natural resources. When she is not out trying to save the world, you can find Allie running, hiking, or spending time with her dog, Bear.