This chapter in the Heart & Soul Community Planning Handbook explains how the Heart & Soul Community Planning process differs from other planning programs and how it can help engage residents and allow towns to identify and protect what matters most.
This chapter, Why Heart & Soul Community Planning, explains the background and concepts behind the process of community-driven, values based planning. By tapping into the rich resources provided by locals, communities can use their own unique values to guide future growth and change. This method produces effective, lasting results and engages more of the community in the process than a traditional top-down approach. This chapter also lays out the principles involved in Heart & Soul Community Planning, outlining the steps necessary for successful project.
In 2008, the Orton Family Foundation pioneered Heart & Soul Community Planning, a process that has so far been piloted in selected communities in New England and the Rocky Mountains. The Foundation is currently in the process of developing a H&S Handbook that describes the entire process, first explaining the reasoning behind Heart & Soul Community Planning, then walking through the steps to achieve an inclusive, enduring, long-term community plan. With detailed descriptions of new tools and methods and examples from on the ground, this handbook is a resource for planners and citizens alike.
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