Burlington planning event begins today

Today the City of Burlington kicks-off a week-long planning and design charrette focused on the future vitality of Burlington’s downtown and waterfront.
In the Fall 2010, the City of Burlington was awarded a Sustainable Communities Challenge Grant by the U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to develop a land use and development master plan for the downtown and waterfront area. This project (a.k.a. ‘planBTV’) provides a unique opportunity to invest in Burlington's future, and advance the city’s place as one of America's most livable and sustainable communities. While many other planning efforts involving the downtown or waterfront have taken place over the years, none have been as comprehensive in scope and strategic in design. More information about this project can be found at: http://www.burlingtonvt.gov/PlanBTV/
The planBTV Public Design Workshop/Charrette starting today is planned to run through Monday January 30th . This intensive and collaborative planning process is a chance for members of the community to work side-by-side with our multidisciplinary design team from the Town Planning and Urban Design Collaborative (TPUDC) in creating a master plan for Burlington’s Downtown & Waterfront. The planBTV Design Studio at 1 Church Street (in the former Ann Taylor store) will be open to the public from 9am to 11pm each day. The public is invited to stop in at any time, roll-up their sleeves, and be part of taking Burlington into the future as one of the country’s most creative, attractive and vital places to live, work and play.
· Join us for any or all public events during the week-long exercise:
o The Opening Presentation tonight (Tuesday Jan. 24) from 6:30-8:30 in City Hall’s Contois Aud. Town Planning and Urban Design Collaborative (TPUDC) Principal Brian Wright will deliver an introductory presentation on traditional town planning, Smart Growth, and HUD’s six Livability Principles. That same night the team will facilitate a hands-on design workshop where the public is invited to contribute their ideas, working over base maps to identify how they might like to see the City evolve in the future. This information is critical to the formation of plan alternatives, which will be generated during the first days of the charrette.
o A press conference on Wednesday, January 25th at 11:00am at 1 Church Street to mark the opening of the planBTV Design Studio. At the press conference Burlington Planning Commissioners and Department staff will be joined by Town Planning and Urban Design Collaborative (TPUDC) founder Brian Wright, among others. The press conference will be followed by a tour of the planBTV Design Studio and opportunities to interview individual members of the design team.
o The planBTV Juried Art Exhibition Opening Reception on Wednesday, January 25 5:00pm until 7:00pm in the planBTV Design Studio at 1 Church Street. Participating artists have created work around the theme: "The Essence of the City". Jurors will select one winner based on the imaginative use of "The Essence of the City" or related urban planning concepts, and strong exhibition of formal elements and design (composition, color, contrast, handling of materials). All work is for sale with 100% of the proceeds going to the artist.
o Focus Group meetings on Thursday Jan 26th and Friday Jan. 27 throughout the day in the planBTV Design Studio at 1 Church Street. Topics include business, economic development, housing, social services, public safety, waterfront and environment. See the detailed Charrette schedule for more information.
o A mid-point ‘Pin-Up’ and Review on Friday Jan. 27 from 6:30-8:30 in the planBTV Design Studio at 1 Church Street. Mid-way through the charrette, the Team will conduct a pin-up and review to present plan alternatives and gather feedback from the public. Based on feedback, a draft plan will be prepared during the remaining days of the charrette.
o The Closing Presentation on Monday Jan. 30 from 6:30-8:30 in City Hall’s Contois Aud. On the final evening of the charrette, TPUDC principal Brian Wright will give a work-in-progress presentation that describes the process to date, explains the elements of the plan, and presents other findings and products developed during the charrette. This is another opportunity for the public to provide feedback and shape the direction of vision.
· Visit us in the Design Studio at 1 Church Street (in the former Ann Taylor store) and spend some time working with our Design Team. The Design Studio is open to the public all week from 9am to 11pm ‘ if the lights are on, come on in!
· Vote for your favorite planBTV Art Contest entry all week in the planBTV Design Studio at 1 Church Street or on our Facebook site. Entry categories include photography, essays, drawings and video. Winners will be announced at the Charrette Closing Presentation on Jan 30th.
· Follow us on Facebook, and we’ll provide updates and ask for your feedback as we explore different ideas along the way.
· Email us with your thoughts and ideas about what we need to do to ensure that Burlington is always a place with a vibrant economy, affordable places to live, meaningful jobs, and great places to relax and recreate.