Dave Stauffer was a planning commissioner in Red Lodge, Montana before taking a job as a city planner. Wayne Senville talks to Dave about making the switch.
Wayne asked Dave if he gained any insight from being a planning commissioner that helped him in his new role.
Dave answered, "I think it was a great progression that would benefit many professional planners. The biggest plus is being aware as city planner of the general lack of planning knowledge and expertise on the part of most commissioners. This was most instructive for me as city planner in trying to make my staff reports simple, trying to explain complex concepts, and providing lots of examples of how other communities acted on issues that came before my commission."
FULL STORY: Meet PCJ Contributing Writer Dave Stauffer
Philadelphia Could Hit the Brakes on Housing
With bills on the table to update its zoning code, Philadelphia may be poised to slow the pace of its housing construction.
Facebook Campus Expansion Moving Forward in Menlo Park
A proposal to expand Facebook's footprint in the city of Menlo park gained key approval from the city's planning commission recently. The full City Council still needs to approve the plan.
Government Reform Proposed for Better Planning in Philadelphia
Geoff Kees Thompson digs into one component of this old city's proposed mayoral platform for Philadelphia: the need to organize the city's alphabet soup of planning agencies under one director and give the Planning Commission teeth.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.
MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.
Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie