This project will address activities and funding related to Shaping Dane's Future (Design Dane! action plan, p. 53) and the Community-Federal Information Partnership program (FGDC/Vice President Gore) community demonstration project. These two related projects seek to provide local communities with the opportunity to participate in a community-based, technology-linked land use decision-making approach. Project goals include:
Enabling better community planning, including professional planning assistance for local governments and engaging citizens in local planning;
Investigating and developing applications of information technologies such as geographic information systems, Web-based telecommunication and visualization to support community planning;
Determining which information technology innovations can be practically and operationally implemented in Dane County and its local communities in the near term;
Conducting a "real-life" test (pilot project) of local government use of geographic information systems (GIS) and planning support tools (Planning Analyst) for community planning and decision-making;
Facilitating effective collaboration between local and federal government agencies as well as private enterprises.
Project Definition
The project will support community-based land use decision-making by investigating new approaches to assisting Dane County communities and citizens in better understanding, forecasting and visualizing the consequences of alternative allocations of land use in Dane County. This will be accomplished through the development and integrated application of information technologies (e.g., geographic information system, image, multi-media, interactive, and other computing technologies) coupled with professional planning assistance and training. The project will consist of:
the development of a planning application or toolkit, developed by the University, with inter-related modules that provide the following functionality:
- visualize alternative development patterns,
- evaluate impacts of proposed development (fiscal, natural & physical resources, etc.),
- combine desired planning outcomes with relevant ordinances and standards;
training for Dane County staff and community partners in the use, maintenance, and enhancement of each application module;
a planning guide and technical documentation;
professional community planning assistance and training;
a pilot demonstration in a location(s) selected by the County; and
the preparation of a report to the County, which includes an evaluation of the pilot project and recommendations.