The Big Questions

Getting the Basics Right

Plans can do nothing and gather dust, or they can create exciting momentum and catalyze dramatic improvement. The difference lies in how well the public is involved, and therefore how bought in they are.

I started talking about it in my Metroland column of April 5, which you can read in full here. The gist: "When in doubt, think of [public input] like running for office, but with everyone who doesn’t show up counted as a vote against you."

What's Happened So Far?

Albany is very early in the planning process, but not at the very beginning. Here's the Cliff Notes of our trajectory to date:

• December 3, 2005: The Neighborhood Resource Center's annual Neighborhood Works conference focuses on the benefits of comprehensive planning.
• January 2006: Albany city administration says it supports a comprehensive planning process.
• February 23, 2006: A Common Council resolution is proposed that would make Albany's planning board the lead agency in developing a comprehensive plan.
• March 1, 2006: Council of Albany Neighborhood Associations Comprehensive Plan Task Force releases "Guiding Principles for Conducting a Successful Comprehensive Planning Process for the City of Albany Vision 2020." Also passes a resolution opposing having the planning board be the lead agency.
• Early 2007: The Common Council's Planning, Economic Development, and Land Use Committee drafts enabling legislation that would create a special 25-member board to be the lead agency. Takes public comment.
• March 2007: Albany is chosen as one of five communities to participate in the American Institute of Architect's Sustainable Design Assessment Team program.
• April 11–12, 2007: SDAT initial visit. (Report on this visit, and the program, to come.)
• April 24, 2007:  Planning Committee recommends a new draft of enabling legislation that would create a 30-member special board to full Common Council by a 4 to 1 vote. (Detailed report of this meeting to come.)

Next up: On Monday, May 7, the Common Council is expected to vote on the enabling legislation. There will be a public comment period.

Welcome to TBQ

Welcome to The Big Questions. This blog is going to follow Albany's very first comprehensive planning process—the visions and hopes, the methods and politics, the conflicts, resolutions, and inspirations—in detail. Here you'll be able to find links to city documents, interviews with key players, information on what other cities have done, unvarnished reports on important meetings, opinionated scoldings, and more.

Everyone who lives, works, or studies (but especially lives) in Albany has a stake in Albany's comprehensive plan. This is our chance to step back and ask the big questions about where we want to go as a city. What is our vision of ourselves? What are our assets, and how to we make the most of them? Given limited resources, what are our priorities? What are creative solutions to our challenges? Where should development go and not go, and what kind should it be?

These are the kinds of questions we don't often get to ask each other. In neighborhood association meetings, public hearings on a particular bill, or political campaigns, we generally need to stick to the immediate topics at hand, things that can be done right now, things that are not too far-fetched, things that fit in a sound bite. But they are important questions, and this is a chance to put our heads together and give them the consideration they deserve.

This planning process is very exciting, but it will only be as good as we all make it. TBQ will also be covering all the little questions about process that add up to allowing meaningful discussion of—and then action on!—the big questions.

Please visit often, contribute your thoughts, and then participate.