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Linking Community Visioning and Highway Capacity Planning (2012)

Chapter: Chapter 4 Vision Guide

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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 4 Vision Guide." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2012. Linking Community Visioning and Highway Capacity Planning. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14580.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 4 Vision Guide." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2012. Linking Community Visioning and Highway Capacity Planning. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14580.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 4 Vision Guide." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2012. Linking Community Visioning and Highway Capacity Planning. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14580.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 4 Vision Guide." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2012. Linking Community Visioning and Highway Capacity Planning. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14580.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 4 Vision Guide." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2012. Linking Community Visioning and Highway Capacity Planning. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14580.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 4 Vision Guide." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2012. Linking Community Visioning and Highway Capacity Planning. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14580.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 4 Vision Guide." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2012. Linking Community Visioning and Highway Capacity Planning. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14580.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 4 Vision Guide." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2012. Linking Community Visioning and Highway Capacity Planning. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14580.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 4 Vision Guide." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2012. Linking Community Visioning and Highway Capacity Planning. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14580.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 4 Vision Guide." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2012. Linking Community Visioning and Highway Capacity Planning. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14580.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 4 Vision Guide." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2012. Linking Community Visioning and Highway Capacity Planning. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14580.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 4 Vision Guide." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2012. Linking Community Visioning and Highway Capacity Planning. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14580.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 4 Vision Guide." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2012. Linking Community Visioning and Highway Capacity Planning. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14580.
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23 C H A P T E R 4 Introduction The Vision Guide provides a model vision process to better enable practitioners to engage in visioning in support of transportation planning. It is a visual representation of a multiphase, activity-oriented process for preparing, creating, and implementing a vision. In subsequent sections of this report, the Vision Guide will be referenced as the basic frame- work for linking the research objectives of this project in a format readily accessible to practitioners. No two visioning processes are identical, and all must adapt to the unique community context in which they occur. However, there are process steps, activities, components, and key decisions common to any visioning process. This high- level, critical information is presented in the Vision Guide. This model vision process is intended to help vision practi- tioners identify practical activities involved in visioning, in strategically managing aspects of a vision, and in establishing links between vision outcomes and transportation planning and project development decisions. The target audience for this project is a practitioner, defined as a staff member work- ing for an agency or organization engaged at some level in a visioning process, either inclusive or exclusive of a transpor- tation focus. Definitions of the designated roles, and their use in the T-VIZ model process, follow. A companion resource for this research is the online, inter- active version of the Vision Guide, which can be found on the TCAPP website (transportationforcommunities.com). The site supports this research and is the best portal for accessing the information within the Vision Guide. Roles within the Visioning Process Vision processes involve a wide set of public officials, elected leaders, organizers, partners, and public stakeholders, and these relationships have a significant impact on the process, outcomes, and implementation of a vision. The following roles are used throughout this report to refer to the variety of actors involved in visioning. • Practitioner: A practitioner is a staff member working for an agency or organization engaged at some level in a visioning process. Practitioners, the target audience for this project, may work for any of the following types of organizations: 44 Transportation agency (e.g., state, city, or county depart- ment of transportation, MPO, regional planning agency) 44 Governmental agency (e.g., state, regional, local public entity with planning roles and responsibilities) 44 Private or civic organization (e.g., academic, business, nonprofit, nongovernmental organization) 44 Consultant • Convener: Serving as the lead on the vision, a convener is the organization responsible for driving the process, devel- oping partnerships, soliciting public participation, and implementing the vision. Conveners may be public agen- cies or private or civic organizations. • Partners: Partners are individuals or organizations that have an active and defined role in decision making and that have influence over the scope and scale of the vision- ing process. Visioning processes are the products of a series of partnerships. • Stakeholders: Stakeholders are distinct from partners in that they provide input and influence over the outcome but are not involved in defining the scope and scale of the process. Inherent to the public involvement emphasis of visioning processes is the inclusion of stake holders, or those who have an interest in the outcome of the study. • User: A user is one who is affected by the vision, or uses the vision, but is not involved in the vision development pro- cess. Citizens, implementing agencies, private and civic sector partners, and future transportation planning, and Vision Guide

24 development processes are all examples of users that for one reason or another were not an active participant but are able to accept the outcomes of the visioning process in subsequent activities. • Transportation agency perspective: A transportation agency can participate in a vision process through any of the roles described above. Overview of the Vision Guide The Vision Guide summarizes a model visioning process to better enable practitioners to engage in visioning in support of transportation planning. The guide is the result of the initial project research aim to develop a model visioning process that may be applied throughout any community or planning process. However, no two visioning process are identical, because all must adapt to the unique community context in which they occur. There are basic phases, process steps activities, focus areas, and key decisions common to any process, and it is this high-level, critical information which is represented here. The process depicted in the Vision Guide was developed based on extensive research, literature reviews, and discussions with experts in commu- nity visioning. Currently, there is no common definition of a visioning process, although those in use all exhibit common elements. The earliest, and clearest, description of a model process comes from a project in Portland, Oregon, from the early 1990s (Ames 1993). The conceptual foundation of community visioning can be illustrated through four simple questions: • Where are we now? • Where are we going? • Where do we want to be? • How do we get there? This theme is repeated in the many existing process defi- nitions for strategic visioning and scenario-based planning and has since been used in countless efforts. These questions form the core of the Vision Guide but also represent a view of visioning that is limited to the process of creating the vision outcome. The Vision Guide expands this process to address the critical questions a practitioner must address in preparing for and implementing the vision. Activities to pre- pare for a vision are significant and influence the outcomes of the scenario-based planning aspects of vision develop- ment, yet they are often not incorporated in vision processes or scopes of work. Similarly, the activities necessary to carry the vision into reality are underemphasized in current litera- ture and in practical examples from around the country. The Vision Guide presents a unified approach to preparing, creating, and implementing a vision, to provide a complete model process. Organization of the Vision Guide The graphic illustration of the Vision Guide is organized into three phases of critical activities and key decisions. Together, these phases and activities represent a complete process for conducting a vision but are not necessarily sequential, and many may be acted upon independently or concurrently. To accommodate the diverse interests of prac- titioners and the varied scope and scale of visioning pro- cesses, the information contained within this model process can be accessed at multiple levels and for different purposes. A practitioner may select individual activities or view com- ponents or particular focus areas directly related to the research aims of the project. The following descriptions introduce each element of the Vision Guide. • Phases help organize a vision. The first phase, Preparing the Vision, includes organizational and management activities to prepare for the visioning process. The second phase, Creating the Vision, focuses on technical activities and stakeholder involvement in the development of the final vision outcome or products. The third phase, Imple- menting the Vision, provides the framework for following through on the vision. • Activity areas are the basic steps of a vision. These areas include multiple critical activities, products, strategies, and actions. Areas are building blocks of a vision and are ordered logically, however they may be acted upon con- currently or independently. • Components are specific focus areas relevant to a vision. These themes provide a framework for addressing cer- tain topics and are linked to relevant activity areas. Four components are represented—considering communities, reaching stakeholders, forming partnerships, and tracking commitments—and are drawn from the research pre- sented throughout this technical report. • Decisions points represent transitions within a vision. Deci- sions may represent critical milestones or junctures and often provide key opportunities to reach consensus on a vision outcome or provide important linkages to other processes or plans. Figure 4.1 is a graphic depiction of the Vision Guide, highlighting the structure of the process. Vision phases are represented by three columns, activity areas are represented by chevrons, and decision points are represented by gray boxes.

25 Description of Vision Guide Elements Phase One: Preparing the Vision For the practitioner, initial preparation activities focus on developing the necessary support and institutional structure to launch and maintain a successful visioning process. Estab- lishing this framework for action involves answering the critical questions: Why should a community engage in vision- ing? What is the purpose and focus of the vision? How will the vision be organized? Who should be involved? To resolve these process questions, a practitioner must reach out to stakeholders, assess partnerships, identify key issues, secure commitments, establish an organizational struc- ture, and develop a scope of work. These steps are typically undertaken in planning exercises but may hold additional significance in an interdisciplinary, inclusive, and innovative visioning process. This phase includes organizational, mana- gerial, and foundational activities that are the responsibility of the convening organization. Figure 4.2 illustrates the activ- ity areas in this phase. Why are we doing this? Within this activity area, the prac- titioner’s responsibility is to identify key interests and stake- holders, begin developing relationships, and build support for the vision. • Conduct early outreach. Engaging stakeholders and part- ners early helps develop interest and ownership in the pro- cess and assists in building a compelling case for a vision. Cultivating public champions among influential leaders from public, private, and civic sectors provides essential support for the vision. For more information on tools and techniques to reach stakeholders, see Chapter 6. • Frame problem statement. Articulating the need and con- text for a vision sets the stage for and direction of future efforts. The need for visioning often arises in cases in which the desired planning focus is on long-term challenges and solutions, not present-day problems. Visioning may be well suited in contexts in which particularly sensitive issues are best addressed through an inclusive process. What has been done? Within this activity area, the practi- tioner’s role is to review existing resources diligently, to inform Figure 4.1. Key elements of the Vision Guide.

26 the development of the process, and to identify existing net- works as opportunities for future collaboration. • Review prior plans and visions. Taking stock of previous planning efforts, research, or previous visions is an impor- tant near-term action to provide background for a vision- ing process. Related work may provide direct input when determining critical issues, developing relationships with stakeholders, or revealing the value of updating a pre- existing vision rather than developing a new process. Back- ground research also may assist in assessing data on existing conditions and potential future trends, for use in later activities. • Assess existing partnerships. Building on existing relation- ships is an effective means to engage partners or to establish an organizational structure for a vision. Key stakeholders already may be coordinating within a community and pro- vide ready partnership models. What is important? Within this activity, the practitioner’s responsibility is to develop a set of shared community con- cerns or issues, to facilitate a common understanding of the community, and to reach agreement on the desired outcomes of the visioning process. • Determine key issues. Establishing significant community considerations, key priorities, or driving research questions informs the scale and scope of a visioning process. This activity helps focus the vision and direct future outreach, partnering, and organizational efforts. • Identify study area. Developing an understanding of com- munity boundaries will shape the scale of the visioning process, as well as determine the stakeholders and partners involved. This activity also includes establishing a com- mon community identity, which may be a component of early stakeholder engagement efforts. • Establish desired outcomes. Managing expectations of par- ticipants, setting objectives, and reaching agreement on a project’s purpose are important early activities. Docu- menting outcomes may help reduce conflict among stake- holders later in the process, may guide the scope of work, and may establish early objectives. What are our resources? Within this activity, the practi- tioner’s role is to develop a compelling case for involvement and to secure resource commitments from partners. • Develop a business case. Assessing the possible outcomes of involvement in a visioning process will help transportation Figure 4.2. Phase One: Preparing the Vision.

27 agencies evaluate their preferred role and level of support. For potential funding partners, involved stakeholders, or the general community, a business case may be presented based on expected advantages of completing a vision. Chapter 2 provides guidance and decision factors for agen- cies to evaluate their role in a process. • Secure partner commitments. Initiating and maintaining a vision requires the resources of partners, both in financial support and technical assistance. Securing contributions may be accomplished through establishing partnering struc- tures, negotiating financing for the convening organization, or by securing pledges of in-kind assistance. Who will we involve, and how? Within this activity, the practitioner’s responsibility is to clearly establish the lead sponsor for the visioning process, to reach agreement on the representatives and process structure for collaborative deci- sion making, and to define the partnerships and structures best suited to fulfilling desired objectives. • Establish convener. Convening a visioning process should be the responsibility of a primary convening organization. Visioning processes are time- and resource-intensive and are more likely to be successful with dedicated staff and support resources. • Define decision-making structure. Moving a visioning process forward cannot often occur without agreement from multi- ple partners and interests. A defined decision structure, such as an advisory committee, board of directors, or core partner group, with clear roles, responsibilities, and expectations is critical to the legitimacy and longevity of a vision. • Develop partnership models. Gaining the cooperation of the many stakeholders and representatives involved in a vision- ing process often requires the creation of new partnerships, or developing the capacity of existing networks. Partner- ships may be pursued to fulfill distinct purposes, ranging from enabling decisions, securing resources, implement- ing commitments, or engaging groups of stakeholders. For more information on forming partnerships, see Chapter 7. What is our approach? Within this activity, the practi- tioner’s responsibility is to develop a structured approach, to craft a public engagement strategy, and to communicate proj- ect expectations to the public. • Develop scope of work. Planning and managing activities are critical to a successful process. Ideally, a scope should estab- lish a detailed, phased approach that allows for reassess- ments at critical junctures. A wide range of strategies and activities are available to complete key visioning elements such as scenario-planning, outreach efforts, and communi- cation of outcomes under any resource constraints. • Develop outreach strategy. Focusing early outreach efforts on building networks, developing media contacts, establishing a brand and web presence, and presenting information to community members should be part of a public par- ticipation and outreach strategy. Outcomes may include public communications materials, media materials, a web- site, and related branding materials. A complete matrix of available outreach tools and techniques is available in Chapter 6. • Establish timeline and milestones. Communicating the vision- ing process’s purpose, procedures, and decision points helps clearly convey expectations to partners and the pub- lic. At the initiation of the vision, the public and partners should be fully informed of the anticipated timetable of the process. Phase Two: Creating the Vision For the practitioner, this phase leads to the creation of the final vision products, and includes the best-known activities of conducting a vision. The critical questions that frame this phase are simple in theory, yet complex in practice. The crit- ical questions, or process steps, are as follows: • Where are we now? • Where are we going? • Where do we want to be? • How will we get there? These statements form the core of a visioning process, which seeks to generate future policy direction from a shared base of understanding. Technical activities are a focus within this area and include data collection and analyses, modeling and scenario-planning techniques, and indicator development. Typically, scenario- planning actions use early community input and descriptions of current trends—in contrast with alternative futures—to enable public comment and agreement on a preferred future. Significant stakeholder outreach and public engagement also are conducted to assess preferences and to develop con- sensus vision outcomes. Other actions include leadership engagement and consensus building. The end result of the activities in this phase is most often a concise statement of a preferred future, accompanied by additional products such as decision principles, descriptive maps, long-term goals and objectives, or other guidelines for implementation. Figure 4.3 highlights the activity areas in this phase. Where are we now? Within this activity, the practitioner’s responsibility is to collect information on current conditions within the community, and to define and develop indicators to assess those conditions and possible alternatives. • Gather baseline information. Compiling and sharing infor- mation on a community is the basis for creating the vision. Data may include statistics and geographic information,

28 interviews with community leaders, or public opinion and values surveys. The purpose is to provide a starting point for the issues and values discussions that will occur in later steps. • Define and develop indicators. Providing a basis for judg- ment is important to help participants fully understand the trade-offs, alternatives, impacts, and potential futures assessed later in the process. Often indicators are related to key issues and are intended to convey statements of future direction and quality, rather than quantity or output. Indi- cators also provide valuable benchmarks for comparisons or later progress reporting. For a discussion of indicators and measures, see Chapter 5. • Refine values and issues. Reflecting agreement on the values and issues to be addressed in the visioning process pro- vides an opportunity to build public input and support for the vision. This activity may take the form of interactive opportunities for the public to help establish community core values and significant considerations. Where are we going? Within this activity, the practitio- ner’s responsibility is to inform participants of future trends and policy choices, and to reach agreement on common goals that inform the development of the vision. • Document trends. Providing information on probable future trends helps participants in a visioning process assess their choices and determine preferences. Historic and projected data may be used to help frame problem statements, deter- mine priorities, and develop alternatives. • Develop goals and guiding principles. Building consensus around long-term goals, objectives, or guiding principles may be challenging, but it will provide significant direc- tion for the visioning process. Community goals are often formed through interactive public input opportunities such as workshops and meetings. Where do we want to be? Within this activity, the practi- tioner’s responsibility is to identify alternatives for consider- ation and develop representations of those alternatives for assessment, to engage participants creatively in a process to provide input on alternatives, and to reach consensus on a preferred future(s). • Identify and evaluate potential futures. Developing alter- native futures helps the public make informed choices. The process for identifying alternatives for analysis, rep- resenting those alternatives creatively, and then evaluating Figure 4.3. Phase Two: Creating the Vision.

29 alternatives based on established values and indicators should be iterative, collaborative, and innovative. Poten- tial products within this activity range from involved, tech- nical modeling efforts to simple, illustrative representations. • Solicit public and stakeholder input. Providing the public the opportunity to view, assess, and provide preferences on alternative futures is a hallmark of many visioning pro- cesses. For the best results, the process of engaging the public, soliciting input, and utilizing that input should be structured, transparent, and genuine. Interactive, targeted outreach and engagement strategies are often used to pro- vide creative opportunities for involvement. • Develop a consensus future. Collecting, refining, and utiliz- ing public input in developing a consensus future is a crit- ical activity within the visioning process. Without a clear process to accept input in developing a common future, the entire process may disintegrate. Representation of the consensus future, whether by illustration, vision statement, selected alternative, or set of goals must reflect the input provided and be developed with transparent decision mak- ing and communication. How will we get there? Within this activity, the practi- tioner’s responsibility is to finalize value, goal, and principle statements in support of the vision; to document, communi- cate, and distribute the final vision outcome; and to provide guidance on priorities and responsibilities to move the vision into implementation stages. • Revise goals and guiding principles. Matching community goals identified earlier to the preferred future(s) estab- lishes the path forward in the visioning process. Values, goals, issues, and principles may be aligned with the con- sensus alternatives to provide guidance on the priority issues to be acted upon during implementation. This itera- tive process allows for public input and consensus building in preparation of communicating the outcomes of the vision. • Describe vision outcome. Developing a unified, concise statement of vision, or supporting vision products, helps achieve the purpose of strategic visioning, which is to pro- vide guidance for future decisions. Communication of final outcomes to participants, stakeholders, and partners is an important component of this activity. • Establish implementation priorities: Moving from vision to reality requires attainable goals, actionable objectives, and measurable outcomes. With the momentum of crafting the shared vision, the roles and responsibilities of part- ners should be identified, working groups established, and resources dedicated toward implementation. These activi- ties provide the framework for handing off the vision into the implementation phase. Phase Three: Implementing the Vision For the practitioner, this phase focuses on identifying specific actions, roles, and responsibilities to advance the vision into reality. Activities may include endorsement of the vision by elected officials and key stakeholders, transferring vision out- comes into related planning processes, or conducting outreach to significant partners to maintain the relevance and effective- ness of the vision over time. Progress made toward the vision and the status of commitments of partners and agencies is tracked and communicated to the public as a means to demonstrate tangible outcomes. The purpose of implementation is to achieve progress in realizing the vision, but equally important is the creation of lasting structures, partnerships, and processes for continued cooperation. Figure 4.4 highlights the activity areas in this phase. How will we realize our vision? Within this activity, the practitioner’s responsibility is to link the vision and commu- nity goals to actionable objectives, to assist in the integration of broad vision guidance to specific efforts of partners, and to document commitments to be tracked. • Develop objectives and actions. Long- and near-term objec- tives and action steps may be identified by utilizing the information collected during the visioning exercise. Actions should be linked to identified values, goals, and principle statements to provide a basis for progress toward the vision. • Integrate vision into processes and plans. Linking vision out- comes and implementation guidance into the efforts of part- ners provides an important bridge from high-level visions to ground-level processes and plans. Vision outcomes may be formally adopted by partners, provide direct inputs into planning stages, or be reflected in the decisions and docu- ments of partners. Chapter 9 includes additional details on linking vision outcome to transportation planning and development processes. • Secure partner commitments. Documenting and commu- nicating commitments is critical to establishing imple- mentation roles and providing momentum to transfer responsibility for implementation to partners. How will we stay on track? Within this activity, the prac- titioner’s responsibility is to maintain relationships, partner- ships, and networks; to develop a clear commitment tracking process to ensure accountability; and to reach agreement on a process to assess progress continually. • Maintain public and stakeholder relationships. Recognizing partner and public contributions to the visioning process and communicating opportunities for future involvement are critical to maintaining interest in the vision. Developing

30 post-vision leadership programs, recognition awards, or involvement opportunities are some activities employed to maintain the relationships developed in the previous phase. • Develop commitment tracking process. Developing a trans- parent, adaptable commitment tracking process within the sponsoring organization or within participating public agencies helps ensure that the vision is acted on and any benefits to an agency, such as improved public perception, are maintained. Model commitment tracking processes are discussed in greater detail in Chapter 8. • Establish measurement process. Reporting progress toward the vision is critical to judging results and establishing pri- orities for implementation. A measurement process should identify the indicators to be reported, responsibilities for data collection, and a period of consistent measurement moving forward. What have we accomplished? Within this activity, the practitioner’s responsibility is to provide information and updates on the status of the vision, the state of the commu- nity, and progress toward implementation. Continuing to monitor, measure, and report progress toward the vision is a powerful tool for continuing efforts and adjusting priorities. Communicating progress may mean developing performance measures and indicators or may include anecdotal stories of success that help inspire action. How will we maintain our vision? Within this activity, the practitioner’s responsibility is to establish a framework and process to sustain the vision over time. • Refine implementation strategy. Judging progress through commitment tracking and performance measurement pro- vides direct feedback into reassessment of implementation priorities and strategies. Monitored commitments may be fulfilled and retired, or reassessed and prioritized, depend- ing on the status of implementation. • Refresh partnerships. Providing motivation to act on a vision, sometimes decades after development, requires that part- ners are continually reengaged in vision implementation efforts. Strategies to accomplish this include recognition of achievements, collaboration on specific objectives, updates to certain elements of the vision, and other outreach meth- ods to maintain strong community partnerships. • Identify new opportunities: Ongoing environmental scan- ning and strategy development may help identify new opportunities for the convening organization or for the partnerships developed during the visioning process. Figure 4.4. Phase Three: Implementing the Vision.

31 Decision Points within the Vision Guide To enhance compatibility across current Capacity research areas, this project has mirrored the TCAPP approach by identifying transitions within the model visioning process at which a practitioner may arrive at key decision points. As a result, these decision points also provide important linkages to the transportation processes identified in the TCAPP Deci- sion Guide. The following descriptions of decision points highlight the importance, purpose, actors involved, and link- ages for key transitions within a visioning process. What Is a Decision Point? From the perspective of a visioning practitioner, certain steps are arrived at within visioning processes that represent a mile- stone or critical juncture. These decision points may mark the end of a phase or the completion of a key activity, but they commonly represent important opportunities to reach con- sensus on a vision outcome with partners and stakeholders. Decision points also provide important linkages to other processes, plans, or procedures. For example, a vision out- come once adopted is more likely to be used by a public agency to inform ongoing efforts. The opportunity to recognize and adopt a vision outcome formally is considered a decision point and an opportunity to transfer information from broad visioning efforts to defined planning and project development processes. Within the Vision Guide, five decision points are identi- fied and depicted as gray boxes. Decision points may occur at the end of a phase or represent interim steps within a phase. Determining decision points was completed in close coop- eration with the contractor of the SHRP 2 C01 project to ensure compatibility between the two research efforts. Each decision point is described in more detail below. Approve Scope Effectively planning visioning activities and managing the expectations of stakeholders and partners are critical to a suc- cessful process. At this point in the preparation of visioning activities, seeking approval of the project scope from a lead committee, sponsoring organization, or funding partners assists practitioners in both these aims. A scope of work should establish a detailed, phased approach that allows for reassessments at critical junctures in the process. A scope may be approved and committed to by the leadership of a sponsoring organization, but it also should be clearly docu- mented and communicated to a broader audience to help manage expectations of the vision’s purpose. The scope for a visioning process may also provide impor- tant links to parallel planning efforts by transportation or resource agencies. A scope may define the geographical bound- aries of a community or establish the range of issues to be addressed, which may in turn inform partner efforts. Estab- lishing the scope also represents a commitment by the spon- soring organization to complete a visioning process within a certain time frame or including certain activities, and can be linked to future progress reporting efforts. This decision point marks the transition from the preparation phase to the activities involved in creating the vision. Approve Goals Reaching consensus on community goals is a key milestone in a visioning process and substantially informs many future activities. Approval of goal statements by stakeholders or sponsors provides an early opportunity to establish a shared identity, to create a sense of purpose for the vision, or to iden- tify common values. Goal statements are important outcomes that are continu- ally transferred through the visioning process. Community goals are often used as a basis to assess the merits of alter- native futures, to organize task forces or issue area working groups, or to inform the principles, indicators, or other out- comes of a visioning process. Approval of goals by stake- holders and the public may be more significant than approval by the vision’s decision-making body. Broad buy-in to the ideas and commitments represented by goal statements from a number of partners will help ensure the longevity of the vision. Approval of goals by key partners and implementing agencies also is important and may be completed by a formal process to be recognized by an agency. Once approved, goals may be used as inputs to the planning efforts of partners, by helping establish the scope of a long-range transportation plan, or by assisting in the selection of alternatives to be assessed in a corridor planning effort, for example. Adopt Futures Common to any visioning process is the creation and selec- tion of a preferred future or multiple futures. This may be accomplished through scenario-planning activities and involving stakeholders in assessing alternatives and selecting preferences. This important decision point, when consensus is reached on a preferred course of action, is an explicit objec- tive of visioning. Adopting a preferred future may be accomplished by solic- iting the approval of stakeholders through extensive outreach and involvement opportunities. This may be followed by for- mal adoption from the leadership of a convening organiza- tion, or the pledge of elected officials, or through recognition by public agencies. It is this formal adoption step that enables transfer of the vision’s preferred future into related plan- ning efforts.

32 Formal recognition of a preferred future better enables the transfer of vision products into the planning and develop- ment efforts of transportation and other resource agencies. For example, visioning processes that produce preferred future land use maps may readily transfer to the transporta- tion modeling efforts of MPOs and long-range transporta- tion planning processes. Adopted futures might also inform the scope of future planning processes by helping agencies determine community context, define conservation land areas, determine future transportation investment prefer- ences, or suggest the land use and development patterns to be supported by a future transportation system. Approve Indicators and Commitments Implementation of a vision may be one of the more challeng- ing aspects of any process. Implementation necessitates actions on a range of issues, may encompass many jurisdictions and regulatory agencies, and requires the continued involvement of many partners and stakeholders. Two critical tools for advancing implementation efforts include the application of indicators and the tracking of commitments. Reaching a point of consensus approval for either of these tools provides a framework for embarking, monitoring, measuring, communi- cating, and revisiting the outcomes of a visioning process. Indicators are measures, benchmarks, criteria, and commit- ments that provide information on current community condi- tions, assess impacts of alternative futures, and inform processes to monitor and report efforts toward implementing the vision. Reporting progress toward achieving the vision or commit- ments made to act on the vision, is critical to assessing results and establishing priorities for implementation. Selecting and approving indicators is the first step in establishing a compre- hensive progress-reporting framework. Approval of indicators may be sought from leadership of the sponsoring agency, proj- ect partners, or stakeholders involved in early phases of the pro- cess. Approved indicators provide the basis for continually monitoring the status of implementation efforts, for docu- menting the successes and challenges of the vision, for legiti- mating continued efforts, or for adjusting priorities. Commitments include statements of the convening organi- zation to act on the goals, objectives, or actions identified by the vision, agreement from transportation and resource agencies to integrate the vision into planning processes, or pledges of elected officials and public governments to recognize the vision. Approval of these actions is a critical step in implementation and, once made, can be publicized and clearly communicated to stakeholders to provide accountability and reduce potential for misunderstanding. Approved commitments may be readily transferred to tracking processes or related transportation plan- ning processes. For example, a vision may result in an alterna- tive roadway improvement design that a DOT agrees to evaluate and act on as part of an approved commitment. That commit- ment may then transfer into the project development process and be clearly communicated and tracked by stakeholders. Adopt Update Process Establishing an update process provides an important future opportunity to revisit and revise the vision to meet the com- munity’s evolving priorities. This decision point is often used to mark the culmination of visioning activities, with the under- standing that visions are intended to be active processes, not static plans, that may influence decisions and activities of partners and stakeholders decades later. To aid the future relevance of a vision, a clear understanding of the responsi- bility, timeline, and scope for updating the vision should be established. Adoption of a plan for revisiting the vision should be com- pleted by the leadership of the sponsoring organization or by those responsible for organizing ongoing efforts. That com- mitment should be clearly documented and communicated to stakeholders as a future opportunity to reassess efforts. Vision update processes are often adopted as part of the final vision products, with the support and recognition of proj- ect partners. For example, a vision update process could be adopted that is timed to coincide with updates to a local gov- ernment comprehensive plan or an MPO’s long-range trans- portation plan, thus ensuring that the goals and outcomes of the vision are revisited on a periodic basis and in full coop- eration with partners. Component Areas of the Vision Guide Four component areas are represented within the Vision Guide, each addressing an important element of visioning, and serve to link the project research objectives: • Considering Communities; • Reaching Stakeholders; • Forming Partnerships; and • Tracking Commitments. The component elements are linked within the online inter- active Vision Guide and are intended to help practitioners see how these specific efforts evolve and emerge through the course of the entire vision process. In the Vision Guide avail- able in the online project website, each component area is represented by highlighting significant activity areas. The fol- lowing images and descriptions explain the component areas as included in the online Vision Guide. For more details on the topics covered by each component, please see the corre- sponding chapters of this report.

33 Considering Communities This component area highlights activity areas relevant to determining community context, livability, and quality of life. In Figure 4.5, related activity areas are darkened. Considering community livability and communicating context through the use of indicators is an important aspect of a visioning process. Community indicators are used in preparing the vision to provide baseline information; in cre- ating the vision to help stakeholders evaluate future alterna- tives; and in implementing the vision to help gauge progress toward the vision. Within the online Vision Guide, practitio- ners have access to a variety of real-world tools and examples used in community impact assessment and indirect cumula- tive effect practices. These tools are drawn from the research documented in Chapter 5 and Appendix C. Reaching Stakeholders A practitioner interested in stakeholder involvement and outreach activities within a visioning process may use the reaching stakeholders component to focus on key activities. In Figure 4.6, related activity areas are darkened. Reaching stakeholders is an important aspect of a vision- ing process and is significant in early steps to establish rela- tionships, critical when creating the vision, and important to implementation efforts. Accessing this component through the project website provides access to a variety of outreach tools and techniques, including web links to real-world exam- ples from visioning processes. These tools and techniques are drawn from the matrix included in Chapter 6 and are selected to best represent the tools and techniques applied within each highlighted activity area. Forming Partnerships For practitioners interested in the importance, purposes, and possible structures for forming partnerships, this component area reveals key activity areas. In Figure 4.7, related activity areas are darkened. Partnerships are crucial to the success of a visioning effort, and are often the most lasting outcome of a collaborative effort. Forming partnerships early in a process is important to build broad support, secure resources, and develop orga- nizational structures. When implementing the vision, partner- ships with decision makers, key stakeholders, and elected Figure 4.5. Considering communities component area.

34 Figure 4.6. Reaching stakeholders component area. Figure 4.7. Forming partnerships component area.

35 officials can be critical to achieving the goals of the vision. Within the online Vision Guide, practitioners have access to summary strategies and potential partnering structures asso- ciated with each salient activity area. In addition, real-world examples of partnerships are linked within the description of relevant activities. This information is drawn from research conducted for this report and detailed in Chapter 7. Tracking Commitments For practitioners interested in tracking commitments, this component area highlights key activity areas and provides an integrated model commitment tracking process. In Figure 4.8, related activity areas are darkened. Commitment tracking, otherwise known as implementa- tion monitoring or performance reporting, is of increasing interest to visioning practitioners. In preparing for and creat- ing the vision, the foundation of commitment tracking is built, and then it is applied in practice when implementing the vision. Within the online Vision Guide, practitioners have access to summary guidance related to developing a model commitment tracking process, including linkages between a tracking program and the steps in the visioning process. This information is drawn from research discussed in Chapter 8, which includes a full description of the model tracking process. Chapters 5 through 8 provide the research findings that informed the structure of the Vision Guide and support the tools, resources, and strategies that are found within each activity area. These chapters are organized using the four visioning component topics. As such, they are modular and can be read independently, depending on a user’s interest or specific area of concern. The end of each chapter provides specific detail about how the component relates to the rele- vant activity areas in the Vision Guide. Figure 4.8. Tracking commitments component area.

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TRB’s second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP 2) Report S2-C08-RR-1: Linking Community Visioning and Highway Capacity Planning explores community visioning efforts, identifies steps and activities that might be considered when engaging in visioning, and highlights the links between vision outcomes and transportation planning and project development processes.

The report also presents a model—the Vision Guide—that is a blueprint for preparing, creating, and implementing a visioning process. As part of the project that produced Report S2-C08-RR-1, a companion web tool was also developed. The web tool, Transportation—Visioning for Communities (T-VIZ), is the interactive version of the Vision Guide.

Appendixes to the report, which are available only in electronic format, are as follows:

• Appendix A: Case Study Summaries

• Appendix B: Considering Communities

• Appendix C: Stakeholder Outreach Resources

• Appendix D: Commitment Tracking

An e-book version of this report is available for purchase at Google, iTunes, and Amazon.

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