Progressive Planning in Conservation Communities

Abstract

Utah is becoming a leader in comprehensive, communicative regional planning in the United States through an innovative process known as Envision Utah, even though many observers view Utah as the least likely state to pursue progressive planning practices. As many urban issues spread across multiple jurisdictions, regional approaches are often needed. In a highly conservative state with a strong belief in limited government, regional planning initiatives would seem especially unlikely. Instead, Envision Utah succeeds in engaging the region’s stakeholders in the planning process without creating a new layer of government. Utah’s model fills a key gap in how planners engage communities on regional planning issues. In this study, I analyze Envision Utah as participatory regional planning in the Salt Lake City region and identify components planners might reproduce in other regions.