Opt-In Project Explores Uncharted Planning Territory in Southwestern NC

“We’re closer to five other state capitals than we are to Raleigh.” That’s a phrase you’re likely to hear within the first five minutes of a conversation with leaders in the far western region of western North Carolina. Although it may sound like a simple observation on geography, the obstacles our isolated location and rugged terrain create for regional planners and economic developers means that any attempt at a collaborative regional vision is likely to strain the limited capacities of existing governments and institutions. This is a difficult task, even in large metropolitan areas with plenty of leaders and resources to draw on. It is doubly so in a sparsely populated, rural region like ours. These challenges are why the Opt-In SWNC visioning initiative is so unique and so important. The initiative’s ambitions are to fill in research gaps, identify opportunities, and test alternative strategies to inform decision-making about economic development, transportation planning and the environment in the far western North Carolina counties

Local and Regional North Carolina Collaborations: Case Studies from the North Carolina Chapter of the American Planning Association

Carolina Planning regularly publishes a feature highlighting projects from members of the North Carolina Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA-NC). This year’s submissions range from multi-county visioning efforts to small-town transportation planning, demonstrating that planning at any scale can benefit from innovative collaboration. Includes the following case studies: Innovative Partnerships (Introduction); Opt-In Project Explores Uncharted Planning Territory in Southwestern NC; Transportation Planning in a Growing Community; Playing Around with Civic Engagement Strategies in the Triad; Simple Changes and Collaboration: NCDOT and the Town of West Jefferson Partner to Revitalize Downtow