Tag: public administration

Asking Questions and Taking an Inventory

Posted on by Julia Havens

Lake County Parks and Recreation Master Plan CPW Community Planning WorkshopThe Lake County Parks and Recreation Master Plan Team (through the Community Planning Workshop) has set out to develop a vision for parks and recreation in Lake County, Oregon. Our intrepid group of public administration and community and regional planning students will be working with communities in Lake County to understand their health and recreational needs and values. We even have a County task team with local knowledge and expertise to help guide our recommendations.

Understanding the context of planning parks and recreation in Lake County requires that we take an inventory of the current parks system and the role that it plays in the community and local economy. From concept to deliverable, this project involves: researching social and economic trends, interviewing stakeholders, surveying community members, holding community meetings, interpreting the results of this research, and, finally, creating a Parks and Recreation Master Plan based on our findings.

Turns out, there is a lot to learn about a place you’ve never been!

Alexis Biddle Lake County Parks and Recreation Master Plan CPW Community Planning WorkshopWe’ve learned about Lake County’s geography – it has the highest elevation city in Oregon! –; populations of towns – hint: they are small –; demographics – apparently, it’s a great place to retire! –; seasonal swings in employment – farm towns vary a lot! –, and tourism.

From my experience, having grown up in a larger city, focusing on the economic trends in a rural county made me realize how important each and every job is to the local economy. Gaining or losing even ten jobs can make a huge impact in the prosperity of towns in rural Oregon.

From the Lake County Treasurer and our project advisor, Anne Crumrine, we learned about Red Rock Biofuels planned biomass plant for Lakeview, Oregon. The plant will create fuel from logging debris for the military. More importantly, this development will likely create needed jobs in Lake County. This project and developments like it will drive the growth that shapes the demand for parks and recreation.

Alexis Biddle Lake County Parks and Recreation Master Plan CPW Community Planning WorkshopMy teammate Rory and I were so excited to visit Lake County that we went for sneak peak to Fort Rock. The eroding center of a volcano was like nothing I had ever seen – a piece of living geology still speaking the story of the Earth. We knew that this story needed to be shared and are excited to let others in on secrets like this in Lake County.

We are currently in the process of conducting stakeholder interviews. These interviews are preparing us for our first round of community conversations in February. During that trip we’ll get to taste even more wonders of Lake County’s park system.

That’s right, it’s our job to go to the park.

 

Alexis Biddle Lake County Parks and Recreation Master Plan CPW Community Planning WorkshopAbout the Author: Alexis Biddle is a law student focusing on land use and is pursuing a Masters in Community and Regional Planning. He  has a passion for active and public transportation and wants to promote policy related to healthy and sustainable communities. In his free time, Alexis enjoys backpacking, snowboarding, biking, and competitive stone skipping.

Meet our Students: Leigh Anne Michael / Community and Regional Planning

Posted on by Admin

Meet our Students: Leigh Anne Michael

Community and Regional Planning

 

What city, region, state do you call home?

I grew up in Tennessee and moved to Oregon in July 2012. I now consider Eugene, OR my home.

In which graduate program are you enrolled?

Community and Regional Planning

What is your area of concentration?

My area of concentration is community development, specifically economic development and redevelopment. I am also interested in social equity and the role that nonprofits play in economic development and redevelopment of communities. Because of my Community Planning Workshop (CPW) project I am also becoming interested in cultural competency.

What will you be doing for the Community Service Center?

I am working on the Diversity and Equity Strategic Plan (DESP) Evaluation for the City of Eugene. We are evaluating the internal culture of the organization and if it has changed since the implementation of the DESP in 2009. My team is administering a survey and interviewing City staff to measure change. We are also interviewing selected members of the community and synthesizing other City of Eugene outreach efforts. We will provide the City of Eugene with a final report of our findings and our recommendations for moving forward with their equity and human rights efforts.

How does your involvement with the Community Service Center relate to or inform your graduate studies?

My involvement with the Community Service Center directly relates to my graduate studies because I am already interested in social equity and human rights. Working on the DESP Evaluation allows me to gather a better understanding of how equity and human rights fit into the field of planning.

What can you say about the value of your Community Service Center experience?

I think this experience is extremely valuable. Applied learning makes school fun and provides real life experience. Without the Community Service Center I would not be able to interact with the community through an applied learning project. The knowledge and experience I gain from this project will help me throughout my career.

What outcome are you hoping for when your project ends?

When my project ends I hope to have a better understanding of what I want to do for my career. I hope to improve my technical writing and public speaking skills. Most importantly, I hope to understand how human rights, equity, and cultural competency are a part of the planning field.

More about the Community Planning Workshop(CPW)