Forums & Workshops
- 2005 Forum: The Future of the Region
- 2004 Workshop: Lessons from Sierra Watershed Assistance Program
2005 Forum: The Future of the Region
In Spring 2005, The UC Davis Putah Cache Bioregion Project invited community, local businesses, groups and organizations, UCD students, faculty and staff, to participate in a hands-on workshop series addressing difficult questions about growth and development in "Our Region" and how we can shape a future with vibrant and healthy human and natural communities. The series was designed with the idea that regional social, economic and environmental interest/actions do not operate separately, but are interrelated and that it is necessary to examine these interactions in order to understand and change them.
A mix of factors -economic, social, ecological, political- affect land use, natural resource management, planning and community development in our region. Complex problems are often rooted in the tensions between these interests, and the relationships between them are difficult. At the same time new tools and approaches offer possibilities for developing compatible resolutions to these interdependent interests. The goal of the series was to provide a forum to engage in these issues and to increase understanding about the challenges and opportunities of growth and development in the region. The series, held in the evening in downtown Davis, focused on issues at increasing scales.
I. Development in Davis: Constraints, Opportunities and
Trade-offs
A discussion about challenges and opportunities related to growth
and development in Davis. This session looked at current issues relating
to growth management, different types of development, adequate and
affordable housing, maintaining community character, economic development
and tax revenues, and future development of the University. Specific
issues such as the Covell Village Development Proposal, Measure J
and future development of the University provided a case study context
for the forum.
II. The Future Yolo County: Common Goals and Challenges
for Managing Growth and Developing Healthy Communities.
In the rapidly developing Central Valley, productive agricultural
land, valuable natural resources, and a growing population create
a mix of demographic, socio-economic, and ecological considerations.
The people of Yolo County will need to consider these issues in making
difficult decisions about its future. With reference to the updating
of the Yolo County Master Plan, (intended "to guide development of
the unincorporated area toward the most desirable future possible," and
combine "minimum urbanization with the preservation of productive
farm resources and open space amenities."), this session provided
a forum to examine and exchange ideas about new ways to envision
the relationship of cities/towns to rural areas in Yolo County.
III. Regional Perspective: The problems and potential of
regional planning strategies.
The third forum provided a regional context for thinking about growth
and development. Many of the complex problems facing communities
are common to the region. Regional or cross jurisdictional approaches
to planning are increasingly popular, but conflicting goals and interests
often preclude or complicate planning efforts that are regional in
scale. This discussion looked at current planning efforts within
the Sacramento region and asked what opportunities and limitations
exist for increasing regional planning efforts.
Forum co-sponsors were PCBR, PSRP, JMIE, UC Davis Extension, Geography Graduate Group, Community Development Graduate Group.
2004 Workshop: Lessons from Sierra Watershed Assistance Program
This workshop examined the successes and challenges of an innovative liaison-based assistance program in getting data and analysis into local and regional decision-making processes in the Sierra Nevada. Lessons learned from this multi-year project were found to be applicable to collaborative natural resources management and planning efforts in California. Key ingredients to successful partnership models for scientific, technical and organizational assistance were identified. Questions raised included: How best are such services provided? What is the role of the State? How do assistance programs help build democracy?
To learn more about the project to which this was the culminating workshop please see our community-based environmental project Getting scientific data and analysis into local decision-making in the Engagement & Outreach section.