~ by Kara Salazar, AICP, Assistant Program Leader and Extension Specialist for Sustainable Communities, Purdue Extension, Illinois – Indiana Sea Grant
The new online Tipping Point Planner course teaches almost anyone involved in land use planning or water quality issues how to use the tool to examine past and predicted land use changes, identify environmental threats, define natural resource assets in need of protection or restoration, and incorporate that knowledge into community planning. With the tool, you will use innovative visualization dashboards, custom scenario modeling, and interactive visioning exercises to help your community reach a consensus and set its priorities for land use strategies and policies that enhance local values. The facilitation process results in an action plan that includes an overview of the community’s status and provides customized implementation steps to improve current conditions and steer clear of tipping points. The process and resulting plans are tailored for use as part of local planning initiatives such as comprehensive plan updates, land use plans, and watershed planning efforts.