Spring 2018:

Project Problem/Question/Issue:

• The City of New Castle is updating its Comprehensive Plan to help guide future growth and redevelopment and to maintain compliance with Delaware’s municipal planning requirements. Comprehensive planning is a process that determines community goals and aspirations. Once formally adopted, the Comprehensive Plan becomes a policy document, used to guide the City’s decisions in terms of land use, transportation, utilities, housing, recreation, etc. We would like the assistance of the Capstone Students in determining how to best approach public outreach and participation for a Comprehensive Land Use Plan. In determining the best approach, we would like the following to be considered, in addition to any other factors decided on during project scoping: mechanics and approach, methods, available resources, audience, demographics, timing, and cost effectiveness. We would also like the Students to research potential effective survey questions/answers and the responses they propose to elicit (e.g., information expected to obtain, results expected to quantify), along with best practices for length and format.

Requested Deliverables:

• A written public involvement plan (PIP) that includes, but is not limited to, specific examples of potential outreach methods/activities that can include in-person, online, print, or other media; a suggested timeframe; possible events to target; and ways to involve various population audiences and demographics (e.g., youth, seniors, low-income, business owners). The PIP should include the full range of questions/answers considered and final recommendations for a public survey(s).

• In addition, a Summary Presentation of results is anticipated.

Client:

• Lauren Good and Debbie Pfeil, KCI Technologies, consultants to the Planning Commission of the City of New Castle

Faculty Supervisor:

Prof. Jonathan B. Justice

Final Deliverables

• Written summary of pros and cons of several potential outreach methods

• Presentation