Per Michael Hohmann's description of a successful collaborative venture at 43rd and Upton that included a city planner in the mix, other agencies and such, I have long been of the opinion that having "journeymen" planners associated with functional groups of NRP neighborhoods would be a cost-effective way to give valuable experience to junior planners and bring considerable value to the central planning authorities who wouldn't be able to afford the number of experienced planners that would be needed to populate such a system even in prosperous years. This would also obviate the need to have a myriad of individual NRP operations each with staffers with planning responsibilities - Also unaffordable in this day and age.
It's clearly important for grassroots initiatives to be compatible with city planning horizons AND it's important for those horizons to be sensitive to parochial concerns whenever feasible. There's no simple equation for this, but having trained planning personnel available at the grassroots level who are able to negotiate the maze of regulation, etc. at the municipal level because they are themselves municipal employees, however junior, will at least keep some of the more egregious neighborhood expectations from distracting expensive and time-consuming public processes. It will also serve as a check to municipal-level planners who are sometimes - ahem - unduly distanced from local needs and realities. Fred Markus, West Phillips, now Ward 8-1, soon Ward 6-7 (maybe) --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.530 / Virus Database: 325 - Release Date: 10/22/2003 REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
