The City of Auburn's Interactive Growth Model was awarded the
Outstanding Planning Award for a Project/Program/Tool last week at the
annual meeting of the 2009 Alabama Chapter of the American Planning
Association.
The meeting was in Orange Beach, Ala., March 25 to 27.
The growth model was heralded as a significant advancement to the work
of planning, according to the press release.
A resolution authorizing a contract with Van Buskirk, Ryffel and
Associates, Inc. to develop this interactive growth model which would
aid Auburn city staff in their comprehensive planning efforts was
authorized by the city council in October 2006.
While most traditional growth projections use an unchanging linear rate
of growth, this model uses a curve to predict where growth should take
place in a city.
"I think it gives us a more accurate prediction of growth and enables us
to plan our land uses and the locations of those land uses more
accurately," said Forrest Cotten, planning director for the City of
Auburn. "What's nice about this model is it tells us not only how much
it's going to grow, but in all likelihood where that growth is going to
occur."
According to the press release the model is now being used to assist in
evaluating zoning applications and land use decisions, but city staff
expect to incorporate the model this year as part of its comprehensive
planning process.
Cotten said winning the award lets them know their planning practices
are on track.
"Any time you have an award given to you by your peers it always means
more, because the people who are the best critics of planning are
planners themselves," Cotten said.
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