With our final Community Academy session behind us, the Decatur Next process now moves on to its third and final phase: Taking all that input, all those ideas, and boiling them down to a coherent framework, with specific recommendations.
Why is that important? Because, by organizing all that data as a series of broad principles, detailed goals and, ultimately, a to-do list of projects to be tackled over the next ten years, we end up with something measurable. Something everyone–from the city commission and staff to allied organizations to residents–can plug into and use as a roadmap for their own city-improving efforts.
Our last strategic planning effort ten years ago produced a list of initiatives that have since been over 80% completed. That one metric alone provides a pretty easy way for residents to gauge success and determine if city leadership is following through on its goals and promises.
Now, as we move towards the plan that will guide our next decade, we’re looking to you to help keep us on track. Please make plans to join us this Saturday morning, December 4, between 9 and noon. It’s an open house format so you’re welcome to drop by any time and stay as long (or short) as you’d like.Here’s how you’ll be contributing:
First, we’ll be rolling out a draft of our overall vision and its four key principles. Essentially, these are the broad categories under which we’ll compile our more definitive goals and projects. Your job will be to review them and ensure that, collectively, they capture the spirit of what Decatur residents have been saying over the past eight months. Do they read right? Are they missing anything? You tell us.
Next, you’ll review the goals themselves, making edits as necessary to ensure they’re hitting everything that needs to be hit.
Finally, you’ll have opportunity to review some long-term land-use plans that consider potential development scenarios for areas of Decatur most likely to experience redevelopment over the next decade.
Simple, right? Give your two cents, make sure the planning team gets it, and be on your way.
It’s more important than you realize so please be sure to drop by. You’ll find us in Rebekah Scott Hall, on the front quad of the Agnes Scott Campus. Plenty of easy parking is available in the Agnes Scott McDonough Street deck directly across from the campus.
See you there!