The Community Planning Section functions as the current planning and CDMP implementing arm of the Department's Planning Division.  The Community Planning Section is staffed with urban designers that work in the Section's Urban Design Center (UDC) and with planners that work in the Section's Area Planning Implementation Unit (APIU).

Community Planning staff are responsible for initiating and carrying out Small Area Studies.  The tool that the Department has chosen to conduct these studies is known as the charrette process.  A charrette is an intensive, public planning workshop that seeks the consensus of all the stakeholders of the subject area and that takes place over a week.

Through the charrette process, the Department seeks to develop the community's vision for its growth and future development.  The UDC has a core group of urban designers that work in collaboration the Department's planners, local architects and designers and the staff of other relevant agencies. Upon completion of a charrette, Community Planning staff develops a charrette report which includes the community's vision and a prioritized set of recommendations for Board of County Commissioners acceptance. Upon acceptance of a charrette report, staff develops implementation strategies and zoning recommendations for the charrette area.

In the case of zoning and land use recommendations, the Section's staff develops a unique set of graphical zoning regulations that would ultimately result in the community's vision.

In the right column are links to current and completed charrette area plans.