Are We Ready for a Connecticut Center for Sustainable Development?
Mark Pelligrini, president of the Connecticut Chapter of the American Planning Association (CCAPA), had a thoughtful article in this week's Place section, asserting that the state should be on top of planning. Mark's been reading my mind. With respect to planning and development in Connecticut, some organization, somewhere, needs to ensure that the left hand knows what the right hand is doing, and that what they’re doing is complementary, not counterproductive. I’ve been talking to a few people recently about my ideas for something like a Connecticut Center for Sustainable Development, and what the mission of such an organization might look like.
I was glad to learn last year that new DEP Commissioner Gina McCarthy listed “smart growth” as one of her priorities. That effort is underway under the heading of “landscape stewardship.” That's great and I'll support and look forward to their work. But for all the reasons Pellegrini pointed out in his article and more, somebody’s got to really spearhead our planning and development efforts, a role that one DEP official says they haven't been asked to take.
Allowing for a fragmented approach isn't the most efficient way to go about it. Massachusetts is on the right track by taking a big picture approach with its Office of Commonwealth Development, which puts offices on the environmental affairs, agriculture, conservation, housing and community development, and transportation all under one roof. In Connecticut, OPM would be a natural spearheader, given its role as the Governor’s planning and budget office. But I don’t see that happening any time soon.* Indeed, the Governor’s article on sprawl some months ago indicated she was content to leave planning to cities and towns. Maybe that's just as well, for now.
As a non-governmental organization with a small staff of go-getters, a Connecticut Center for Sustainable Development would be a highly proactive, cutting-edge resource center dedicated to informing and inspiring local government and regional planning groups on smart growth issues and related topics. Through intensive outreach, it would help Connecticut and its communities collaborate, secure federal funding and take better advantage of programs like the Smart Growth Implementation Assistance Program and the Governors’ Institute for Community Design.
The center would not replicate the work of experts in other organizations, but instead function as a convener, periodically bringing together the planners from OPM, DEP’s landscape stewardship staff, and appropriate staff from the Department of Economic & Community Development, the Department of Transportation, the CT Development Authority and other agencies to the extent their work affects smart growth and sustainable development.
A Connecticut Center for Sustainable Development could work with UConn’s CLEAR and NEMO programs, and UConn Law School’s land use experts to offer workshops for citizen planning, zoning and conservation boards. CCAPA and the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities would be other naturals to have at the table. Even business groups like CBIA and SACIA should be encouraged to join in the fun and participate on some level.
I agree that other organizations like the ones Pellegrini mentions are taking a good stab at some of this work. I am reluctant to advocate for yet another nonprofit organization, but the other groups’ missions are either more narrowly drawn around a topical or regional area (which is fine), or they simply lack staff needed to function with sufficient intensity.
Now, the question is, how does something like a Connecticut Center for Sustainable Development become more than a figment of my imagination and a reality? The Last Green Valley, New Jersey Future, Grow Smart Rhode Island, might serve as good models to start from.
How can this happen? What might be better? I welcome your ideas. Write me at kelly.kennedy@think-plan-do.net.
*Post Script :
- State of Connecticut Population: 3.5 million
- Planning Department Staff Total #: 4
- Department Head Position: 1
- Planning Staff Positions #: 3
- Clerical Positions #: 0
posted by Kelly Kennedy @ 2:54 PM
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2 Comments:
I love the idea of a coordinated and comprehensive planning approach for the state. The lack of one was something I noticed about CT when I first moved here
in 2001.
John Filchak, Executive Director of the Northeastern Connecticut Council of Governments told me about his proposal to the state legislature to reorganize the way planning is done in CT. His proposal included one administrative body that creates the regulations, which would require only one application.
There would be only one set of comprehensive regulations that covers all aspects of planning, zoning, wetlands, etc, etc., and one body that evaluates the application for compliance with the regulations. The goal would be to allow all parties that should have an important part in the land use process the chance to provide input.
This would allow for actual planning and for certain important issues that are so overwhelming in scope, complexity or are just plain unpopular that they often get shifted to the back burner and then eventually forgotten. Each application would be reviewed in
entirety and if incomplete would be denied.
I would propose the State Planning Office or the Non-profit planning organization would provide
assistance to the towns in developing their management plans for ensuring the regs work and are enforced.
I will have to think more on the subject. It would be a tall order to put together, especially without
state-wide funding. The COGs could have discussion groups on the subject with interested people in their regions to come up with some good ideas, and that could be done for very little cost or maybe even free.
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