Davidson, NC
Comprehensive Plan

The Town of Davidson (founded 1837) is known nationally for its forward-thinking planning and focus on placemaking. Home to the historic Davidson College and located in northern Mecklenburg County, Davidson has worked carefully over the last two decades to manage growth and enhance community design. Building on several recent planning efforts, including a Strategic Plan, the Town hired Clarion Associates with Planning NEXT in the fall of 2018 to lead the process to update the Comprehensive Plan – What’s Next Davidson. The project scope included development and facilitation of the public engagement process, analysis of conditions and trends, and drafting the Comprehensive Plan.

Designing creative engagement.

The process began with the team reaching out to Davidson residents at local events and traveling to different neighborhoods. An exploration survey focused on the town’s planning principles was administered to gather initial input on the principles and how well they have been implemented. From chatting with patrons at Davidson Farmers Markets and college athletic events to neighborhood meetings, Christmas in Davidson, and beyond, the team worked hard to get in contact with as many people as possible while residents were out and about town. What’s Next also created resources for the Spanish-speaking residents to understand the process and complete surveys. Further, the project website provided participants numerous opportunities to share their input and find future engagement activities.

Facilitating Quick Feedback Loops.

Planning NEXT designed and facilitated a multi-day charrette to provide quick feedback loops for community input. The planning team set up a studio space on the edge of the campus and the historic downtown to be most accessible to participants. The charrette started with an evening workshop on day one, followed by open studio time during day two for people to stop in and see the planning in progress. The charrette concluded on day three with another workshop that let the community know how the input had been actively used to inform the plan.

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Tags

Project Type: public engagement for a comprehensive plan
Community Type: university community
Client: Town of Davidson
Services: public engagement, social media and online engagement