Urban Planning: The term “urban planning” refers to the activities of professionals and community members working together to make places that serve the long-term needs of the people who live there. Urban planning anticipates the future, and sets in motion actions to create places where people enjoy living, working, and playing with their neighbors. Urban Planning promotes a healthy environment, a healthy economy, and a socially just community. For high school students, urban planning creates a window on the world in which they live, helping students to see the connections between their families, their neighborhoods, and the world beyond.
Planners help people improve their communities. We study data and talk to residents to understand how a neighborhood or a whole city is changing. Then we have public discussions about creating good changes (like better sidewalks and trails) and preventing bad changes (like abandoned buildings and crime). I enjoy my job the most when I am able to provide ideas that change a community for the better. As an urban designer I share ideas about where to place buildings, how those buildings should look, where sidewalks should go, and where cars should be parked. All of these things affect the safety and comfort of the places where we live.
Links
The following links are samples of projects from professional Wisconsin Urban Planners.
UWM Plan
City of Milwaukee Park East
Rock County Fair Grounds
Fond du Lac and North
Tower Automotive
African American World Cultural Center
Village of Grafton Retail Center
Marquette University Tech Incub
Milwaukee Country Grounds Development Scenerios
Biography of a local Urban Planner
Planning Acronyms
AGENCIES
CMAP – Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning
CMAP is an agency that integrates land use planning and transportation planning for the counties Illinois, including Cook County. Illinois. CMAP and its deal with issues such as land use, transportation, and community and economic development. CMAP's priority is to supply the area they are helping with the best technical assistance and analysis to improve land use and transportation decision-making for that region.
EDA – Economic Development Administration
The Economic Development Administration (EDA) is an agency in the United States Department of Commerce that provides grants to economically distressed communities to generate new employment, help retain existing jobs and stimulate industrial and commercial growth.
FHA – Federal Housing Administration
The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) is a United States government agency created as part of the National Housing Act of 1934. The goals of this organization are to improve housing standards and conditions, provide an adequate home financing system through insurance of mortgage loans, and to stabilize the mortgage market.
FHWA – Federal Highway Administration
FHWA is responsible for America’s roads and highways and ensure that they continue to be the safest and most technologically up-to-date. Although State, local, and tribal governments own most of the Nation’s highways, the FWHA provides financial and technical support for constructing, improving, and preserving America’s highway systems.
HUD – United States Department of Housing and Urban Development
HUD's mission is to increase homeownership, support community development and increase access to affordable housing free from discrimination.
NTHP – National Trust for Historic Preservation
The National Trust provides leadership, education, advocacy and resources to save America's diverse historic places and revitalize our communities.
USEPA – United States Environmental Protection Agency
The USEPA is a nationwide agency that provides grants and tax incentive programs that create a healthier and more livable environment and to create sustainability for the future.
ORGANIZATIONS
CDC – Community Development Corporation
Community Development Corporation (CDC) refers to a community-based non-profit organizations incorporated to provide quality services and innovative programs for the economic advancement of an low-income or revitalization of a neighborhood or town.
CNT – Center for Neighborhood Technology
CNT is an organization that helps create sustainable communities by focusing redevelopment in energy, transportation, conservation and housing preservation, among other things to preserve the character of a community. CNT is working closely with Blue Island at this time and is helping recreate Blue Island’s appearance while maintaining its identity.
General Planning Terms
ADA – Americans with Disabilities Act (1990)
The ADA is a wide-ranging civil rights law that prohibits, under certain circumstances, discrimination based on disability. Disability is defined as "a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity." The determination of whether any particular condition is considered a disability is made on a case by case basis. The ADA states that a covered entity shall not discriminate against a qualified individual with a disability. This applies to job application procedures, hiring, advancement and discharge of employees, worker's compensation, job training, and other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment.
The ADA also applies to building properties as well in that no individual may be discriminated against on the basis of disability with regards to the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, or accommodations of any place of public accommodation by any person who owns, leases, or operates a place of public accommodation (Public accommodations include most places of lodging, recreation, transportation, education, and dining, along with stores, care providers, and places of public displays, among other things).
BID – Business Improvement District
A Business Improvement District (BID) is a public-private partnership in which property and business owners of a defined area elect to make a collective contribution to the maintenance, development and/or improvement while promoting their commercial district. BIDs typically provide services such as street and sidewalk maintenance, public safety officers, park and open space maintenance, marketing, capital improvements, and various development projects. The services provided by BIDs are a supplement to the services already provided by the municipality.
CBD – Central Business District
The central area of a city that is characterized by high traffic flow, retail services and taller and more intricate buildings in comparison to the rest of the city. This area also generates more people, whether they reside, work, or are solely visiting the area.
COD – Cargo-Oriented Development
Cargo-Oriented Development entails the development of a community’s commercial district and residential neighborhood surrounding its existing freight railways, along with the redevelopment of industrial areas served by freight transportation assets in the same community.
DU – Dwelling Unit
A Dwelling Unit is a suite operated as a housekeeping unit, used or intended to be used as a home by one or more persons and usually containing cooking, eating, living, sleeping and sanitary facilities.
EZ – Enterprise Zone
An Enterprise Zone encourages development in blighted areas or neighborhoods by offering entrepreneurs and investors tax incentives and regulatory relief if they start businesses in the area. Blue Island is part of the “Cal-Sag Enterprise Zone” which one of the 93 EZs in Illinois.
GIS - Geographic Information Systems
A GIS is a computer system capable of capturing, storing, analyzing, managing and displaying geographically referenced information; that is, data identified according to location. With the wealth of information, maps can be generated to provide information for development sites, environmental analysis, population trends, etc. Practitioners also define a GIS as including the procedures, operating personnel, and spatial data that go into the system. See: http://erg.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/gis_poster/
LULU – Locally Unwanted Land Use
LULU functions as a generic term for land uses which are damaging for surrounding land. "LULUS" can include power plants, dumps, prisons, or psychiatric hospitals. Planning seeks to distribute and reduce the harm of "lLULUS" by zoning.
NHPA – National Historic Preservation Act
The NHPA was enacted due to public concern that so many of the nation's historical resources were not receiving adequate attention as government sponsored public works projects. Having been strengthened and expanded by several amendments, the NHPA is today the basis of America's historical preservation policy.
NIMBY – Not In My Back Yard
NIMBY describes the opposition of residents to the nearby location of something they consider undesirable, even if it is generally considered a benefit for many. Examples include an incinerator, an ethanol plant, a nuclear-power plant, or a prison, similar to that of “LULU”.
PC – Planning Commission
A Planning Commission meets a few times a month to discuss recent events within a community and make decisions about allowing new construction occurring in the area or a new business wishing to launch in the area. Planning Commission creates and enforces the zoning code and confirms that businesses and construction projects follow these rules.
PHT – Peak Hour Traffic (or Peak Hour Trips)
In a traffic analysis, this is the number of cars in a certain area during the rush hours of traffic.
PUD – Planned Unit Development
A PUD is a designed grouping of varied and compatible land uses, such as housing, recreation, commercial centers, and industrial parks, all within one contained development or subdivision.
QOL – Quality of Life
QOL is measured by many social and economic factors. A large part is standard of living, the amount of money and access to goods and services that a person has. Others, like freedom, happiness, art, environmental health, and innovation are far harder to measure. This has created an imbalance as programs and policies are created to fit the easily available economic numbers while ignoring the other measures that are very difficult to plan for or assess.
RFP/RFQ – Request for Proposals/Request for Qualifications
An RFP is an invitation for suppliers, through a bidding process, to submit a proposal on a specific product or service.
ROW – Right of Way
A situation in which although a parcel of land has a specific private owner, some other party or the public at large has a legal right to traverse that land in some specified manner. In transportation, is an easement or strip of land granted for transportation purposes.
SFD – Single Family Dwelling
Residence housing a single family with no immediate family.
SRO – Single Room Occupancy
SRO refers to a building that houses people in single rooms. This means that tenants must share bathrooms and kitchens.
TIF – Tax Increment Financing
TIF is a tool which has been used for redevelopment and community improvement projects. When a public project such as a road, school, or hazardous waste cleanup is carried out, there is an increase in the value of surrounding real estate, and often new investment (new or rehabilitated buildings, for example). This increased site value and investment creates more taxable property, which increases tax revenues. The increased tax revenues are the "tax increment." Tax Increment Financing dedicates that increased revenue to finance debt issued to pay for the project. TIF is designed to channel funding toward improvements in distressed or underdeveloped areas where development would not otherwise occur. TIF creates funding for public projects that may otherwise be unaffordable to localities. Blue Island is designated as a TIF district.
TOD – Transit-Oriented Development
Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) entails the development of a community’s commercial district and residential neighborhood surrounding its principal public transit station, concurrently with the redevelopment of industrial areas served by freight transportation assets in the same community.
ZBA – Zoning Board of Appeals
The ZBA meets on a regular basis to hear appeals for changes in the Town Zoning Ordinance where strict conformity would result in unnecessary hardship
ZO – Zoning Ordinance
Zoning Ordinances are enforced to preserve, protect and strengthen city neighborhoods. It implements the city's land use policies to protect the character, harmony and stability of residential and business areas.
1712 S 32nd St. | Milwaukee, WI 53215 | 414.902.7566 |