Congratulations to the High Line Canal Conservancy, winner of the National Planning Achievement Award for Public Outreach!
The American Planning Association (APA) announced today the recipients of the 2018 National Planning Excellence and Achievement Awards. We are thrilled to congratulate the High Line Canal Conservancy – winner of an Achievement Award (Gold) for Public Outreach – and the many thousands of community members that came out to participate in the Vision Plan effort!
Agency’s Gina Ford led the Vision Plan while a principal at Sasaki, working closely with Matrix Design Group and PlaceMatters. Check out this video summarizing the effort!
The Vision Plan’s unique storytelling – a key component of the planning’s success – is captured beautifully here by project manager and lead planner, Jill Dixon. W. Shedrick Coleman, AIA, 2018 Awards Jury chair, noted, “The team worked diligently to engage the community and share stories about the Canal. Through extensive storytelling, the team ensured the community was part of the history and connected to the future. The success of holding 70 events along the 71-miles is nothing short of impressive.”
According to the press release issued by the APA, the planning effort “helped residents envision a sustainable future for the canal and made them part of the planning process. The canal is a valued recreational resource, and now, with community input and support, a shared vision for its future will ensure it is preserved as a natural, varied, and connected greenway for future generations.”
Agency is thrilled to be working with Livable Cities Studio, Sasaki, Arthouse Design and Economic & Planning Systems, Inc. to advance the vision into a physical framework for the future! Open houses to preview the latest work, including an in-depth existing conditions analysis of the canal landscape, are happening throughout the Denver region in April!