Sustainable Community Capacity Building

Strategic Planning for the Town of Dauphin Island (AL) to Attain Sustainable Economic Development & Environmental Protection (January - December 2007). Five E's Unlimited is assisting the Town of Dauphin Island in developing a long-term strategy and implementation plan for community development that creates a more hazard resistant community able to balance economic development with environmental sustainability. The consultant services include (1) reviewing existing documents and statutes applicable to future development, (2) providing stakeholder sustainability awareness and inventorying all stakeholder place-based interests, values, practices, and future vision, (3) conducting community asset identification via public consultation processes, (4) developing visual frameworks of historical and current conditions that will influence changes in environment, community development, and cultural views, (5) planning and designing management strategies through public participation, including the visualization of possible futures and related timelines for progress, and (6) promoting implementation of a management strategy and measurement processes. During the final phases of the project we plan to work collaboratively with the Planning Commission and others in identifying how this strategic planning process can be integrated into the Island’s Comprehensive Plan. In addition, we will collaborate with official entities responsible for Island governance to identify areas of future cooperation that can result in improved opportunities for gaining needed financial resources. Consultanting partners in this contract included Gene Martin of the University of Washington, Seattle WA and Mary Mullins of the Bellwether Group, Mobile, AL. Contact: Nannette Davidson, Planning Commission, Town of Dauphin Island, AL 36528. tel: (251)861-5525, ext. 25. e-mail: ndavidson@townofdauphinisland.org.

Community Sustainable Development Assistance, Lake Tahoe (CA)-Northern Nevada (September, 2006). Served as a member of a Sustainable Design Assessment Team (SDAT) for the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Communities by Design program. Conducted a week-long charrette designed to help the communities of Lake Tahoe, Truckee, Reno, and Carson City assess their strengths and weaknesses with regards to water resources, land-use, transportation, energy, and economic development. Conducted a series of workshops to develop the background on issues, seek stakeholder input on core values and important concerns for the future, and provide recommendations for the communities to proceed in a sustainable fashion. Strongly recommended to the different communities that they begin to plan on a regional basis since they are very closely linked by a common watershed, transportation corridors, commerce, and labor force. Affordable housing was also a significant issue to all communities involved in the assessment. My leadership in water quality issues provided a strategic process for the involved communities into the exploration and design of Low Impact Development (LID) policies for future development guidance in the region. Contact: Peter J. Arsenault, Stantec Architecture, Inc, 2060 Brighton-Henrietta Townline Road, 2nd Floor, Rochester, NY 14623. tel: (585)413-5305. email: parsenault@stantec.com or Richard Licata, Professor of Architecture, Truckee Meadows Community College, 5250 Neil Road, Suite 301-G, Reno, Nevada 89502. tel: (775)750-8852. e-mail: rlicata@tmcc.edu.

Community Sustainable Development Assistance, Guemes Island, WA (June, 2006). Served as a member of a Sustainable Design Assessment Team (SDAT) for the American Institute of Architects, Communities By Design program. Conducted a week-long charrette process designed to help the Guemes Island community assess their choices and issues and define a path toward formulating strategies and solutions in their commitment to planning for a sustainable future. Team research and public consultation focused upon five community objectives that included: preserve the island’s rural character; conserve water and protect the quality of the island’s sole source aquifer; resolve transportation disagreements; protect wildlife and shoreline habitat; and increase island energy independence. Community participants commented that the sessions were far more valuable in examining the bases of their prejudices, wishes, and positions than they had expected. “One of the things that really impressed me was how many different voices and people, who often disagree, were brought together in this process,” said one participant. “Having all their input has made us all aware that we do have a community with a common vision. It’s made us all energized and hopeful about our future.” Team work assisted the community who was anxious to take charge of its future, especially with regards to controlling growth that’s compromising the Island’s rural legacy. The week’s work created the blueprint that the Island will recommend as its sub-area plan to document much of the philosophy, direction and tools that will eventually be adopted as the Island’s land-use plan by Skagit County. My leadership on community water issues assisted participants with identifying alternatives for regulating water use and providing alternative water supply by imagining seven potential futures for the Island’s development. Identifying water supply and quality problems associated with each of those potential scenarios provided the community an opportunity to develop solutions to each of those problems, resulting in an action plan. Contact: Ms. Erica Gees, Kuhn Riddle Architects, 7 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01002. tel: (413)259-1621. e-mail: egees@kuhnriddle.com.

South-Sea Datcomm, Inc. and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). (March-September, 2005) Advised private sector and government on sustainable community development in the Niger River Delta region, Nigeria (West Africa). Designed and developed programming that would implement an NDDC Master Plan for the rapid, even, and sustainable development of the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. Advised the Partners for Sustainable Development Forum (PSDF) on the principles and tools to use in implementing sustainable community development actions for the 9 States of the Niger Delta Region. Designed a process which outlines the minimum human and logistics capacities required in each directorate of the NDDC in the light of anticipated responsibilities for guiding implementation of the region’s Master Plan. Developed instruments and procedure for testing all Master Plan programs and projects, including the NDDC’s defined Quick Impact Projects (QIPs) for social, economic and environmental sustainability. Facilitated Participatory Regional Assessment (PRA) activities to build human capacity in target communities for sustainable revitalization action programs, emphasizing equally economic, environmental, and social justice issues. Provided guidance on processes for the monitoring and evaluation of projects designed and implemented under the NDDC Development Master Plan. Designed and implemented communications and advocacy projects to ensure sustained stakeholder confidence and participation in the NDDC sustainable community development plan implementation. Advised public and private stakeholders on the design of a Sustainable Technology Industrial Park (STIP) that emphasized principles of industrial ecology and eco-efficiency and stressed the importance of business attention to the triple bottom line. Contact: Mr. Uzo Nduka, Director of Consultancy, South-Sea Datcomm, 11 School Road, Mgbuoba, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. tel: 0805-265-3435. e-mail: southseadatcom@yahoo.com.

Shaw Main Streets, Inc. Washington, DC. Provided services to Shaw Main Streets, a community-based, non-profit organization devoted to the commercial revitalization of the 7th and 9th Street corridors of Northwest Washington, DC. Established organization policy framework and financial management procedures. Facilitated the work of volunteer committees to develop projects that would promote economic revitalization and equitable community development in an historic, culturally diverse area of the District’s urban setting. Consultant activities provided to support building and lot parcel inventory studies, promotional activities, integrated development design strategies, streetscape planning, and sustainable business expansion opportunities. Promoted concepts of green infrastructure development, walkable communities design, integrated commercial revitalization, destination district advantages, and corporate social responsibility as part of consultant advisement. Contact: Dominic Moulden, Manna CDC, 614 S Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001 - tel. (202)232-2915. e-mail: dmoulden@mannacdc.org.

International Countryside Stewardship Exchange, Cold Spring, NY. Served as a member of a Countryside Stewardship Exchange team sponsored by the Glynwood Center (Cold Spring, NY) and the Countryside Exchange Institute (Manchester, UK). My role on the team was to carry-out community asset assessment, evaluate community-based development of natural marine resources, offer guidance on sustainable community development around the issues of economy and community capacity, and work with other team members on collectively making recommendations for Rathlin Island to progress on their strategic planning and implementation of actions in a sustainable and secure way. Work included evaluation of present conditions, resolving conflict among varying points of view within the community, and reporting on collective steps the community could take to achieve its goal of sustainability. Contact: Jayne Daly, Director of Programs, Countryside Stewardship Exchange Inst., Glynwood Center, P.O. Box 157, Cold Spring, NY 10516 - tel: (845)265-3338. e-mail: jdaly@glynwood.org.

Resort Municipality of Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. Provided the Whistler community and government (British Columbia, Canada) with expert opinions and data on sustainability as they would apply to a resort community to inspire long range planning and enhance sound economic development in tourism and recreation. Retained to prepare a Comprehensive Sustainability Plan that was produced during 2002. The RMOW required that the consultant team, of which I was the lead consultant for the Sustainable Destination Resort Background Report development, work to examine and define sustainability criteria in the context of the Whistler community. A copy of this report can be found at Whistler It's Our Future. My responsibilities in this effort included working to develop community consensus on sustainable destination resort community characteristics and criteria for evaluating futuring scenarios for the community and government to use in evaluating and choosing their preferable alternative future. Designed methodology for developing a comprehensive plan that was not simply collaborative with the community, but that was initiated, driven and concluded by the community. Assisted the public in understanding issues surrounding sustainability and how methodology should be applied to the key economic development issues facing the community. Responsible for guaranteeing the public's considered opinion was recorded and reconciled through further consultation and that the Comprehensive Sustainability Plan was set for implementation. Contact: Mr. Mike Purcell, General Manager of Planning & Development, RMOW, 4325 Blackcomb Way, Whistler, VC V0N 1B4 - tel: (604)935-8160. e-mail: purcell_m@rmow.whistler.bc.ca.

Sustainable DC (SDC), Washington, DC. Worked with the organization's Steering Committee to develop a formal organizational structure for this non-profit that would assist other NGO's in Washington, DC to holisticly achieve their various objectives related to sustainable development within the City. Assisted the organization's founder to design and publish an organizational web site and to identify initial projects the organization could implement and funders the organization might obtain support from for these projects. Served as editor of the organization's publishing of a bi-weekly, on-line (Internet) newsletter, "Sustainability Outlook" that initially reached more than 500 subscribers. Developed the format and agenda for a series of "Sustainability Dialogue" forums held in the Spring-Summer of 2001 by SDC and facilitated their conduct. Contact: Ms. Janet Bearden, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC - tel: (202)564-6245. e-mail: bearden.janet@epa.gov.

Virginia Cooperative Extension Service, Exmore, VA. Designed and assisted in implementation of a project on sustainable rural development with a team of stakeholders in two very poor counties of the Eastern Shore of Virginia, focused upon building community capacity. The emphasis of this capacity-building initiative was to empower stakeholders toward the taking charge of their own destiny with regard to environmental and economic sustainability. The ultimate goal of the Program was to develop a long- term plan for training, citizen empowerment, obtaining informational resources, and implementing other community programming in order to assist communities in improving their economic, social, and environmental assets, while also achieving self-sufficiency. Contact: Ms. Brenda Holden, Senior Extension Agent, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Northampton County Office, 5432-A Bayside Road, Exmore, VA 23350 - tel. (757)414-0731. e-mail: bholden@vt.edu.

National Council for Science and the Environment, Washington, DC. Designed and facilitated two-day Conference Workshop on "Sustainable Communities" to gather collective participant agreement on the science and information delivery needs required to advance concepts of sustainable communities via National Science Foundation research initiatives and Federal Legislation proposals. Contact: Dr. David Blockstein, Senior Scientist, National Council for Science and the Environment, 1725 K St., NW, Suite 212, Washington, DC 20006-1401 - tel. (202)530-5810. e-mail: david@cnie.org.

International Countryside Stewardship Exchange, Cold Spring, NY. International consulting as a multi-discipline, team member. Provided advice and technical assistance on community-based natural resource management, watershed resource conservation, sustainable rural economic development, fisheries and aquaculture activity expansion, advancement of value-added fisheries processes, rural village revitalization, eco-tourism development, coastal ecosystem protection, and cultural asset evaluation, for NGOs and governments of the Dumphries-Galloway Machars region of western Scotland. Contact: Ms. Judith M. LaBelle, President, Countryside Stewardship Exchange Inst., Glynwood Center, P.O. Box 157, Cold Spring, NY 10516 - tel: (914)265-3338.

Heartland Center for Leadership Development, Lincoln, NE. Conducted community training programs in community capacity building, telecommunications and information technology, land-use planning and sustainable development, and conflict resolution for the Kellogg funded Managing Information in Rural America (MIRA) Program. Contact: Ms. Vicki Luther, MIRA Program Director, Heartland Center, Lincoln NE 68508 - tel: (402)474-7667. e-mail: lbv229@aol.com.