• Ross Cantwell on Waterfront Development Planning

Ross Cantwell on Waterfront Development Planning

Waterfronts are related to Main Street programs of the 1980's; question is how to make connections from improved dowtown back to the waterfront

Want to provide public access, maintain views of water

Need realistic and pragmatic plan, but with a vision

Need to understand the community: some want more tourism, others not

Different communities are at different stages in the development process

A healthy relationship to the private sector is important

The process is more important than the final plan or product

Need full community support to proceed

Need to identify common themes in the community

Start looking for win-win solutions right away; e.g. arranging land swaps

Need to build consensus

Need to know when what the community wants is more important than your design

The community must understand the process

Outline a clear implementation plan

It may be better to take on a small project first

Accountability in plan implementation is important

One pitfall is too much emphasis on funding; i.e. government will save us

Need to switch from building mode to programming mode at some point; i.e. getting people there for events

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