Tag Archives: Community

How bikeable is your community?

  February 12, 2016 ,

Use the newly developed Low-Stress Bicycling Assessment Tool to find out!

Planning for Complete Communities in Delaware: The Low-Stress Bikeability Assessment Tool  is a resource for Delaware local governments that are considering ways to improve the low-stress bikeability for areas within their community. It is designed to guide local governments in evaluating the extent to which average bicycle riders can easily access low-stress areas, and in developing strategies to leverage state investments to improve local cycling networks and bicycle infrastructure. The Low-Stress Bicycling Assessment Tool should be used in combination with DelDOT’s maps to help communities target high-priority locations to plan for infrastructure improvements, bridge network connectivity gaps, and enhance low-stress conditions for the average bicyclist.

Learn more about low-stress cycling and how to use the assessment in this new section of the Toolbox.

 

Three Steps Toward a Flood-Ready Community

  February 2, 2016 ,

Delaware Local Government Planning Framework: Flood-Ready Communities

Resilient communities leverage the strengths and capacities of individuals, families, businesses, schools, and hospitals to “bounce back” after flood events, rather than merely react to impacts.

The new “Flood-Ready Communities” section of the Toolbox provides for a planning framework to equip Delaware communities with the tools necessary to transform communities into flood-ready, resilient places.

This topic area highlights a process and tools for Delaware communities to evaluate risks, plan to adapt, and execute actions to address the impacts of flooding.

This section also features a GIS StoryMap showcasing “freeboard” as a tool to achieve a sustainable and resilient community. When adopted as part of a floodplain management strategy, freeboard can create flood-ready communities that are prepared to protect and preserve properties and lives.

Visit the new “Flood-Ready Communities” section of the Toolbox today!

Get Started with the Toolbox: Watch These Videos

  January 19, 2016 ,

The Delaware Complete Communities Planning Toolbox is growing! If you’re not sure where to start, watch these two videos for an overview of Complete Communities planning approaches and how to navigate the toolbox.

Introduction to the Complete Communities Planning Toolbox

This video provides an overview of the Planning for Complete Communities in Delaware project. It explains the five elements of a complete community and how Delaware local governments may use this framework and resources within the online Delaware Complete Communities Planning Toolbox to create attractive, inclusive, efficient, healthy, & resilient places.

Navigating the Complete Communities Toolbox

This video briefly describes how to best utilize the Toolbox to discover complete communities planning approaches, community design tools, and public engagement strategies. Navigate through the toolbox to explore documents, images, presentations, and videos that aim to define the core concepts and describe the benefits of complete communities.

 

How Walkable is Your Community?

  June 23, 2015 ,

Cover of the new 2016 Healthy and Complete Communities in Delaware: The Walkability Assessment Tool Walkable, pedestrian infrastructure is a key element of a “Complete Community.” When sidewalks, parks, and trails are pleasant places to walk, all community members benefit. Unfortunately, not all places are walkable, but with the help of IPA’s Walkability Assessment Tool, citizens achieve positive changes.

Visit the Walkable Communities section of the toolbox to learn more about ways to improve pedestrian infrastructure. This section includes:

Summary of Spring Workshop Series Now Available

  October 17, 2013

Workshop Summary Report coverIPA hosted a series of workshops in spring 2013 on “State and Local Government Regulatory Barriers to Complete Communities in Delaware.” The purpose of these workshops was to gain input on what are perceived to be top regulatory obstacles to creating more complete communities in Delaware and potential solutions on how to address those barriers. Stakeholder groups representing a wide range of Delaware interests were included.

The workshop summary includes an overview of our workshop outreach and a discussion of key recommendations coming out of the workshops. We appreciate the involvement from private sector and public sector leaders across Delaware in this workshop series and plan to use workshop takeaways from this spring series to inform future research and outreach.

“What Makes a Complete Community?” – 2012 MD-DE APA Conference

  November 1, 2012

More than 240 professional planners from Maryland, Delaware, and beyond gathered together for two days in October 2012 at the 2012 MD-DE Regional APA Conference. These dedicated individuals came to hone their trade, get re-certification training, and generally share best practices. MDP had the opportunity to interview a few of the leaders of this conference. The question was the same as the theme of the conference: “What Makes a Community?”