Neighborhood Conference 2008 - City of Madison, Wisconsin

Workshops and Demonstrations

8:00 - 8:30 A.M.
Registration and Networking

8:30 - 9:00 A.M.
Welcome by Mayor Cieslewicz

9:00 -10:15 A.M. WORKSHOPS
Choose one of the following workshops during the 9:15 - 10:30 a.m. time slot.

Working with Elected Officials and City Staff on Neighborhood Issues: They Can be Your Best Allies
Accomplishing your neighborhood goals and objectives requires that you work effectively with elected officials and City staff. This workshop will help you do just that through a discussion of the role of elected officials and City staff, tapping resources, understanding city processes, and strategies for getting your issues addressed. As a neighborhood leader, this workshop will teach you how to work more effectively to get the job done!

Creating Great, Sustainable Neighborhoods
The Neighborhood Design Center, a non-profit organization that educates and engages citizens to collaboratively design sustainable communities, and the City of Madison Planning Division will provide information on how you can improve your neighborhood though better design AND demonstrate a free software program that neighborhoods can use to address land use/design issues.

Presenters: Steve Steinhoff, Neighborhood Design Center and Rebecca Cnare, City of Madison Planning Division.

Neighborhood Indicators Project: A Tool to Understand, Track, and Improve Madison Neighborhoods (Repeat)
Data from various sources inside and outside City government can be used to help assess the quality of life in Madison’s neighborhoods. Examining this data in a geographically based way can help us better understand our neighborhoods, better target services to their particular needs and strategically allocate scarce resources to address issues impacting particular neighborhoods. A pilot of this project is ready for viewing. Come and see what it tells you about the health of neighborhoods across our City! For more in Neighborhood Indicators or to view the pilot data, visit http://www.planning.wisc.edu/madison/Index.html.

Presenter: Andrew Statz, Fiscal Efficiency Auditor, Mayor's Office.

10:15 –10:55 A.M. Break and Dialogue Sessions

What should you do during the 30-minute break? Grab a cup of coffee and join your colleagues in discussing the topic of the day or browse one of the planning studios.

Coffee Chat: Neighborhood Leaders Dialogue
Have you ever wanted to sit down and talk with other leaders around town? Come in with a question about running effective neighborhood meetings, how to recruit and engage residents, or how to manage a neighborhood project. No formal presentation will occur but rather a face-to-face discussion with seasoned neighborhood leaders. Coffee and snacks in the room!

Presenters: Ledell Zellers, Capitol Neighborhoods Inc. and Randy Glysch, Carpenter-Ridgeway Neighborhood.

Visit the Downtown Plan Public Information Office for the Day!
Madison is in the process of developing its first Downtown Plan in nearly 20 years. As the heart of the community, all of the city's neighborhoods have a stake in the future of Downtown. Please stop by the public information office to learn more about this important effort and to share your views and perceptions of Downtown. www.cityofmadison.com/neighborhoods/downtownplan/

Zoning Code Rewrite: Talk with Planning and Zoning Staff
The zoning code is one of the primary tools the City of Madison uses to regulate development. The current zoning code dates from 1966 and it does not always reflect best zoning and community planning practices. This is your chance to stop by and discuss what works, what doesn’t work, and what the consultant, community meetings, and committee work has determined the biggest issues to wrestle with. www.cityofmadison.com/neighborhoods/zoningrewrite/index.cfm

11:00 - 12:15 A.M. WORKSHOPS
Choose one of the following workshops during the 11:00– 12:15 a.m. time slot.

Creating Great, Sustainable Neighborhoods (Repeat)
The Neighborhood Design Center, a non-profit organization that educates and engages citizens to collaboratively design sustainable communities, and the City of Madison Planning Division will provide information on how you can improve your neighborhood though better design AND demonstrate a free software program that neighborhoods can use to address land use/design issues.

Presenters: Steve Steinhoff, Neighborhood Design Center and Rebecca Cnare, City of Madison Planning Division.

Revitalizing Our Neighborhoods through Community, Creativity and Communication
Stories and slides from Portland, Oregon's City Repair Project sites, and Madison's own unique grassroots community building projects. Learn about efforts to build community from the "ground" up here in Madison. From community gardens, to bike path art, to cob sculptures and mural projects - Madison is using creativity and collaboration to build community in neighborhoods around the city. Be inspired by projects and ideas from Portland, and brainstorm new possibilities for taking Madison to the next level of creative community building. Projects use recycled/reused/renewed materials - low cost/no cost is the theme for City Repair initiatives.

Presenters: Mariah Miller, Aries Rising Productions and others.