Visioning and Visualization – People, Pixels, and Plans

Visioning and Visualization knits together several heretofore separately documented strands on the leading edge of today's successful planning. Community-based participatory planning is presented as a core method, not just an add-on activity, as the who strand. Vision-driven strategic planning is the 'what' strand; and the new visualizing tools and technologies provide the 'how' strand. Underlying these is a whole-system, world view of the future in a values matrix, framing the 'why' strand of planning. The result is a thoughtful, creative, and hopeful vision for our democratic commons supported by an empowering, accessible new technology. In short, this clearly written beautifully produced book presents a whole tapestry of public planning the way it should be, can be, and sometimes actually is. -- Ron Thomas, AICP, Former Executive Director, Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission Finally, a coherent approach to community visioning that will serve as a valuable tool in building consensus across multiple stakeholders. This book will aid neighborhood leaders in demystifying the complex issues of urban planning and the built environment. It is a practical and adaptable set of methods to formulate and then visualize a set of strategies to inform equitable revitalization and redevelopment. -- Miguel Garcia, Program Officer, Ford Foundation We have come a long way since 'planning by crayon' and 'planning by edict.' This book richly illustrates state-of-the-art planning tools for public involvement, visualization, and simulation that truly are best practices. -- William L. Allen, III, Director of Strategic Conservation, The Conservation Fund This book is aptly rife with large, color images that help convey the authors' main idea: visuals are essential to planning with the community. When aided by the effective use of visualization tools, public participants are also more effectively responsive, simply because the information is straightforward and manipulatable. Visioning and Visualization is an excellent guide on how such potential can be attained through current technologies. -- Planetizen Top 10 Books 2009 The authors focus on the use of visualization software packages in enhancing public participation in urban design and redesign--not just in visioning, but in actual planning, design, implementation, and subsequent fine-tuning...Especially for those not yet deeply involved with these technologies, this book will serve as a useful introduction. -- Planning