Dateline: April 27, 2007
Contact Name: Karl Kehde
Web Address: http://www.landuse.org

When neighbors, city officials and developers meet to discuss a proposed project, such as a new residential or commercial project, friction among the three can be time consuming and aggravating, and lead to costly litigation as well as unappealing land development.

For the past 12 years several foundations in concert with the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs have funded independent research to find a solution. And they discovered one. It's a do-it-yourself, collaborative process that is hosted, surprisingly, by neighbors of the proposed project. A website http://www.landuse.org has been set up to provide, for free download, the guidebook for the new process along with testimonials, a history of the research, and other useful materials.

Refreshing, creative thinking in land use decision-making can happen when neighborhood, developer, and city planner share ideas in a friendly setting. Seems unlikely. Yet, according to Karl Kehde, the principle researcher who participated in more than 500 meetings between neighbors, developers, and city officials, "When the neighbors of a proposed project host this collaborative process, usually everyone participates -- regardless of past confrontation."

"There is a lot more room for cooperation than you ever dream. We get so fixated on our own interests and the potential for conflict that it becomes a recipe for head-butting and we miss the fact that there is huge common ground," said Dana Cochran, a neighbor who used the collaborative planning process in New Jersey. With improved relationships between the participants, development density and architecture can change. Features like parks, recreational facilities, walk and bike paths, and community buildings can be included to enhance the original neighborhood

"Achieving a sense of community among all land development stakeholders is the road to the best economic growth," says Kehde, "We discovered a step-by-step process that can mend relationships across the board and achieves profitable development designed specifically to benefit the surrounding neighborhood. Using this process, proposed land development can become the catalyst for inclusive cooperation in a community. It's an effective resource throughout project design and permitting."

For more information visit www.landuse.org or contact Karl Kehde at 908-625-0638 or karl@landuse.org.