2015 APA-Wisconsin Annual Workshop Presentations
The Tech Side of Planning
Track A – A Picture is Worth a 1,000 Words
Transform Milwaukee
Taking Graphics to the Next Level
Presentation starts with a brief description of the Transform Milwaukee Initiative, its Strategic Action Plan,
the timeline, goals, areas of focus, and the role of communications and critical thinking. This is followed by
a demonstration of how to capture the complexity of the Plan and its contents while nurturing engaged
communication through user-friendly layouts.
This discussion includes examples of taking graphics to the next level using ArcGIS, AutoCAD, Adobe
InDesign, and Adobe Illustrator.
Craig Huebner – Urban Planner, GRAEF Tanya Fonseca – Urban Planner, GRAEF
Larry Witzling, PhD, AIA, ASLA – Principal, GRAEF Stephanie Hacker, AICP, LEED AP – Planner, GRAEF
Visit www.transformmilwaukee.com to learn more about the Initiative & view the Strategic Action Plan.
Transitioning From 2D to 3D
3D Digital Modeling & Animation Technology
Over the past year, SmithGroupJJR started to integrate animations into complex urban design and planning
projects. Integration of this technology enables a higher level of public understanding - extremely
importance for large scale planning projects. Our approach combines 3D digital modeling and animation
technology that clearly communicates ideas.
Three presenters – the client, the project manager and the urban designer - will describe their recent
collaboration on a waterfront planning project in Euclid, Ohio that transitioned from 2D plans to 3D
modeling and animations. The Client will introduce Euclid’s waterfront planning challenges (in person, or
remotely via WebEx video-conference as is routinely used as part of the project as well), and then transition
into the Client and PM describing the benefits of moving their first project from 2D to 3D. The Urban
Designer will dive into the process of planning and animating in 3D including a discussion of when is it
appropriate to move into 3D, how to utilize old and new 3D models for animations, why we chose Lumion
verse other sophisticated animation programs, and setting realistic time expectations.
Jason Stangland, PLA, ASLA – Principal/Project Manager, SmithGroupJJR
Eric Schuchardt, Associate ASLA – Urban Designer, SmithGroupJJR
Frank Pietravoia, AICP – Asst to the Mayor for Development, City of Euclid, Ohio
Animation Software Focus: Lumion 5.0 http://lumion3d.com/
Reader-Friendly Documents
Tips From a Graphic Designer
Environmental and planning documents can be complex and cumbersome, presenting challenges in
achieving readability for the public and legal sufficiency. Our presentation will be a question-and-answer
session in which a planner consults a graphic designer/editor to obtain guidance on and learn the best tools
for producing a reader-friendly, appealing and functional document. Such tools can include style guides for
consistency; use of appropriate software; building in time for copy editing for terms, grammar and active
voice; adding interactive elements for web-posted documents; and adding in the use of graphic elements
such as navigation tools, color, images, graphics and column layouts
Caron Kloser, AICP – Principal Planner, HNTB
Map Makeover
Jodi Drosner – Graphics Supervisor, HNTB
Nobody Wants to Look at Your Ugly Map
A map that works best is one that intuitively tells a story and ugly map just makes it harder for people to
figure out what you are saying and realize the importance of your really cool data. The good news is that
there are easy things you can do to make your map beautiful and a better communicator.
Here’s what you’ll learn:
 matching map type and a symbology to data type
 how to encode information in multiple ways
 why shades of grey are your friend
 rules of thumb (so you appear to have graphic design experience)
For map makers of all experience levels.
Danielle Lee, GISP – GIS Specialist, AE2S
Track B – GIS Is More Than a Pretty Map
GIS has changed.
This isn’t your father’s GIS anymore
Esri I
In the presentation I will update attendees’ notions about what GIS is, what it can help with, and why
planners, specifically, can benefit from embracing GIS in their practices, workflows and responsibilities. For
the presentation, my primary take-home messages will be:
A. GIS has changed. Big time. This isn’t your father’s GIS anymore.
B. Two major (and seemingly paradoxical) reasons GIS use hasn’t become more pervasive amongst the
planning community are:
1. It is too difficult to use. It takes too much of an investment to get even simple maps
done. It takes an “expert” or “specialist” to do what planners need to get done.
2. It isn’t sophisticated enough to do what a planner really needs to do, which is to create
plans, get those plans reviewed and commented on, and present those plans—especially
visualizations of plans and plan alternatives—to quickly and effectively communicate them
to the intended audience.
C. GIS has advanced to where it offers the planning community the ease-of-use and the power needed to
be a very useful technology in their work.
D. The emergence of the field of Geodesign is providing a powerful professional and academic context for
the application of GIS in the planning practice. This will help drive GIS to continue to progress to support
the evolving role of the planner in society.
E. One now easily-accomplished task is site assessment, e.g., for economic development. I want to show
how anyone can incorporate demographics, consumer lifestyle characteristics, spending patterns, business
location data, and dozens of landscape characteristics, into a solid site assessment, using only a browser, in
very little time.
Mike Koutnik – Account Manager, Esri
New Ways to do GIS
browsers, smartphones and tablets
Esri II
This workshop will provide a VERY basic introduction to a new way to do GIS, with browsers, smartphones
and tablets. Among the things covered in this section:
A. What is the ArcGIS browser app? What can it do? Where can I find ready-to-use layers to
map with it?
B. How can I access existing parcel (and other) layers from Wisconsin units of government and
view them in a browser?
C. How can I create a map with my own data?
1.
For instance, create a map of a subject parcel for development. Maybe sketch out a
tentative outline for a building.
2.
Then, I need to “circulate it” for comments and redlining by colleagues. What will
setback requirements be? Where are utilities? What easements or other potential
conflicts exist?
3.
How do I do that?
D. How can I take that map and allow it to be viewed on a tablet or smartphone? And edit those
data on that device, if desired?
E. How can I take my map and integrate it into our website? A PowerPoint presentation?
Facebook? Tweet it?
Mike Koutnik – Account Manager, Esri
GIS Data: Different Sources, Similar Environments
Aerial Imagery, LiDAR, 3D
In this discussion, we will examine two on-going programs that exemplify the multi-dimensional interaction
of GIS data derived from distinctly different sources, but for similarly urban environments. The first
example illustrates the power of GIS analysis as it relates to demographic patterns and public CIP funding
patterns. The Milwaukee Public School District commissioned a system-wide inventory and analysis of their
athletic facilities, from which the planning team provided long term infrastructure improvement and
budget forecasting utilizing advanced GIS overlays. The results yielded sound, practical, and defensible
recommendations for public funding expenditures.
In the second example, we will look at the GIS Consortium in the Chicago area and observe how a group of
27 municipalities are incorporating aerial imagery and LiDAR into their traditional GIS platforms. These
cities and villages are relying on 3D data to help make informed decisions every day for public works,
engineering, planning and zoning, public safety, and urban forestry.
Jason Krueger, CP, GISP – Project Manager, Ayres Associates
Blake Theisen, PLA, ASLA – SAA Design Group
Targeting Priority Working Lands & Operations
CommunityViz & ArcGIS
The Targeting Working Lands and Operations (TWLO) pilot project aimed to provide local decision-makers
in Calumet and La Crosse County with the tools and training necessary to identify Priority Working Lands
and Operations (important farms and farmlands) where protection efforts are desirable and help attain
community goals and objectives.
Recognizing that local people know their communities the best, the project engaged a committee of local
volunteers to customize a Land Evaluation and Site Assessment (LESA). The LESA used seven digital
suitability layers, including characteristics such as quality of soil, compatibility with surrounding land uses,
distance from urban features, proximity to protected working lands, and more. The analysis included some
50 variables and 55 dynamic attribute formulas that automatically calculated suitability scores for each
non-developed parcel in the county. The LESA Committee assigned weights, or values, to the characteristics
so that important characteristics have more influence over the final result than less important ones.
Scenario 360 allows for committee members, planners, or zoning administrators to change scoring variables
and weights and in real time does overlay analysis and recalculates scores that normally takes hours of
manual manipulation. It also allows for real time comparison of scenarios and to see the results displayed
with maps and charts.
Tom McClintock – Outreach Program Manager, UW-Madison LICGF
See Placeways.com for information about CommunityViz Scenario 360
Track C – Public Process Online
VISION 2050
Engaging the Public with Interactive Tools
As part of the Regional Planning Commission’s current effort to develop VISION 2050—a longrange land use and transportation plan for Southeastern Wisconsin—the Commission staff has
conducted extensive public outreach. This presentation will touch upon online ways staff has
engaged the public, including a dedicated website, several online surveys, and an interactive
online tool. In general, these online engagement techniques have been employed to replicate
activities conducted at interactive public workshops for VISION 2050. The presentation will also
discuss the use of iClicker keypad polling devices as a way to gather feedback as well as keep
attendees interested during public workshops.
The VISION 2050 website serves as a centralized source for up-to-date information on VISION
2050, and allows comments to be submitted at any time. The interactive online tool
(www.vision2050sewis.org/scenarios) allowed interested residents to explore and provide
feedback on a series of conceptual year 2050 land use and transportation scenarios. The tool,
developed with Urban Interactive Studio, provides information on the scenarios and their
evaluation in a way that allows residents to explore, rather than simply review and comment.
Included in the tool are navigable maps with layers that can be turned on and off, and an
application that ranks the scenarios in real-time according to answers to a series of questions.
Eric Lynde – Principal Transportation Planner/Engineer, SEWRPC
www.vision2050sewis.org
www.vision2050sewis.org/scenarios
Online Public Engagement in Planning: Increasing Public Trust in the Planning Process
Citizens have been increasingly going online to engage with family, friends, businesses and
organizations. Accordingly, planners are increasingly interested in how to go online for civic
engagement regarding their planning projects. However, online civic engagement has challenges
that planners need to address in order to build public trust in government (not erode public trust).
These challenges include the potential for, (1) non-residents to overly influence the feedback, (2)
bullies and their vitriol to impede participation, (3) planning staff becoming overwhelmed with the
online engagment, (4) broken brainstorming that results in popular ideas that are infeasible for
planners to purse, and (5) referendum effects that lead participants to presume that the response
with the most clicks should prevail -- regardless of what planning staff and leaders think (AKA
"click-tivism"). Join us in a discussion of how to implement online civic engagement for planning
projects in ways that are inclusive, transparent, insightful and increase public trust in government.
Michael Cohen – Co-founder, Peak Democracy, Inc
Impactful Community Engagement
Beyond Tweeting
How do you reach a broad audience accessible to the collective community and gather the
feedback needed to make the best possible decisions? Online conversations are happening right
now that have potential to impact communities, leaders and the decisions they are making. Here,
we will introduce the “new local” and how attendees can leverage this medium to better engage
constituents. We’ll identify community expectations, discuss where residents are currently
weighing in on civic issues and uncover how you can play a role in leading the conversations that
are building better communities.
We’ll present a series of case studies about communities across the country who have successfully
implemented best online engagement practices that embrace the new local. These groups, while
diverse in size, initiative and organization type, have all harnessed the power of a meaningful
conversation and used it to build a better community.
While initiating a powerful conversation is crucial, it doesn’t mean much without the ability to
measure the feedback collected. Our last portion of the presentation will demonstrate how to
close in on the ideas generated by online conversations and initiate actionable next steps by
utilizing data.
Mike Wirth, FAICP – CEO, MindMixer
*Attendees will be introduced to a new form of community engagement during the session that
they can access on their smart devices. This platform is optimized for any mobile device and/or
tablet.
Selecting the Correct Medium for Scenario Planning
Right Tool, Wrong Job
Technology is a wonderful thing! But the most appropriate tool may be one that you already have
in your toolbox and haven’t considered using. One of the major challenges in planning is
meaningful public input and civic engagement. Like any successful communication, this comes
down to relaying information that is understandable to your audience, ensuring that they have
meaningful input in the process, and providing feedback or showing outcomes that are timely and
relevant. But selecting and calibrating the right tool for the job is rarely that straightforward.
Capital Area Regional Planning Commission (CARPC) staff have been working with area
communities to develop 25-year growth scenarios. Selecting the appropriate tools to conduct
scenario planning workshops and surveys has been an evolving process. In the latest incarnation of
the process we developed an interactive spreadsheet that provides real-time visual feedback in
response to user selections and we conducted physical modelling exercises. When we began this
process we had high hopes for a number of community modelling programs. But barriers like
software calibration time, on-site technological capacity, availability of quality data, not to
mention the high levels of knowledge and sophistication required by the programs proved to be
too great to overcome in short charrettes with members of the general public. In the end, we were
able to simplify the content and reach more of the people with ubiquitous programs like Microsoft
Excel than we could have with a more specialized tool. All it took was a little bit of ingenuity.
Sean Higgins, AICP – Community Planner, CARPC
Dan McAuliffe – Planner, City of Madison
Track D – There’s An App for That
Online Zoning Made Easy
Civic Webware – InSight Code Viewer
Common zoning questions include: “What can I do with my property?” “What are the
dimensional standards for my property?” “What are the review procedures?” Answers to these
questions are typically answered by referring to a zoning code and map. Traditional zoning
documents require flipping back and forth between the zoning map and many pages of text or
looking at a static map and PDF posted online
Some communities in Wisconsin are moving past this outdated and ineffective approach by
putting their zoning regulations online in a user-friendly format. InSight Code Viewer, a new webbased tool that merges the functionality of an interactive zoning map, with the zoning code, and
administrative functions, is being used by several Wisconsin communities. Hear from Village of
East Troy staff on how using InSight has made planning and project review easier, more
transparent, and more efficient. The process of using InSight has been easy and affordable for the
Village, making development and zoning review easier for elected officials, staff, and residents.
Carolyn Esswein, AICP, CNU-A – Owner, CePlanning Studio and faculty, UW-M Urban Planning
Randy Timms – Village President, East Troy
Eileen Suhm – Clerk-Treasurer, Village of East Troy
http://www.civicwebware.com/products/insight/overview.aspx
SAMPLE site http://villageofeasttroy.insightcodeviewer.com/home
Website works for all desktop, tablet, and phone formats.
Carbon Positive Approaches to Neighborhood Planning
Software - Eliminating GHG Emissions
Using Leading Edge
Greater than half of the global population inhabits cities, consuming only 2% of the land mass, but
contributing 75% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, inspiring the Clinton Foundation to
create the Climate Positive Development (CPD) Program. The CPD Program, now run by C40 Cities
Climate Leadership Group, supports the creation of neighborhood-scale developments to meet
urban population demands while achieving net-zero (or better) GHG emissions - in an
economically viable manner. These projects create places that are not just buildings, roads and
sidewalks, but systems that produce energy, distribute electricity, heat and cool places, process
waste, provide water and lighting, and access transportation. CPD projects reduce emissions they
create and offset the remainder by removing emissions from adjacent communities. The design
and construction of developments reduces the overall GHG emissions to achieve what is
considered a Climate Positive outcome. The CPD program requires the extraordinary
environmental performance standard of 100% reduction of operational GHG emissions for campus
scale multi-building pilot projects.
This investigation utilized UW-Madison metrics to develop a base case and optimized scenarios to
determine the number and type of strategies needed to realize the CPD Program standard for a
portion of the Campus. By using the software tool that optimizes the key indicators of Operational
Carbon (mtonCO2e/yr), Energy Use (MWh/yr), Potable Water Use (ML/yr), Waste Landfilled
(mton/yr), and Passenger Km Traveled (PKT/day); each of the CPD program pilot projects
demonstrate how net-zero operational GHG emissions level can be reached. This research effort,
utilizing the software tool provided by C40 Cities and focusing on University of Wisconsin-Madison
Campus operations, describes the process of using leading edge software to develop a local
sustainability approach aimed at eliminating GHG emissions at their source. (Co-author John Harrington, Professor, Department of Landscape Architecture, UW-Madison, with supportive
funding for this report provided by the UW-Madison Office of Sustainability through the
Sustainability Innovation in Research and Education (SIRE) Grant Program.)
Christine Scott Thomson, AICP, LEED AP – Nelson Institute, UW-Madison
Open Data Mapping the Entire World
OpenStreetMap
OpenStreetMap is an open source, grassroots map database providing data for anyone to use and
distribute. Launched originally in 2004, OSM now exceeds over 1.5 million registered users and has
an active global mapping community. This presentation provides an overview of OpenStreetMap.
It will cover the open philosophy of OSM, discuss data contribution methods, introduce ways to
access OSM data, and show applications using OSM data. Many high-profile websites and
applications already use data from OpenStreetMap, which is constantly being updated by
community members and serves as a catalyst for open data and collaborative editing.
Ethan Nelson – Dept of Atmospheric & Oceanic Studies, UW- Madison
http://www.ethan-nelson.me/osm
First Impressions
Qualitics Survey Instrument
The UW-Extension First Impressions program has become a widely used effective community
assessment tool by community development professionals around the world. In this program
small teams learn about their community’s strengths and shortcomings through the eyes of firsttime visitors. Volunteer teams undertake unannounced visits, record observations, and give
constructive feedback to the exchange community. These reports are often used as part of
broader community assessment or planning processes to inform community policy and action.
Participants in this workshop will learn about a technology adaptation of First Impressions. A
Qualtrics survey instrument is employed to enable program participants to record impressions
online and upload photos. The learning format will feature a case study of Kenosha-Joliet Urban
Impressions Program and include hands-on demonstrations of First Impressions community
assessment online tools. Participants will receive materials to implement the program in their own
communities, including copies of relevant First Impressions participant and coordinator manuals.
http://goo.gl/ad12AQ
Amy Greil – Natural Resources & Economic Development Educator, Kenosha County UW-Ext
Information Is Through a Story
ArcGIS Online
Sometimes the best way to share spatial information is through a story. Creating an interactive
geographic presentation is an excellent means for planners to convey spatial information to their
audience. You will find the presentation capability within ArcGIS Online easy to use. An ArcGIS
Online presentation is a set of slides that can show different map themes, basemaps, scale, popup
windows, and specific locations. However, these are far from static slides because at any point
during the presentation, the presenter can interact with the map, allowing for richer and fuller
presentation with the audience as question are fielded and discussion ensues. This presentation
will demonstrate the dynamic presentation capabilities of ArcGIS Online.
Dan McFarlane – GIS Research/Specialist, Center for Land Use Education, UW-Stevens Point
Track E – Smart Toys and Facebook & Beyond
Death and Taxes: Using GIS to map the world's only two certainties
For over 40 years, Southwestern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission has assisted
communities to do more with less by working with them to adopt new technology to achieve more
efficient use of staff time and more informed decision-making. We’ll share how we accomplish
this, and identify the challenges and opportunities we found, on two recent projects that
demonstrate the value of planning in a resource-limited region. These projects reflect the value of
investing in technology to realize long term savings and increased productivity. We will also
engage the audience in identifying how they can use these techniques in their work and also
facilitate an idea session based on the goals of these projects.
Our update to the Lafayette County Land and Water Resource Management Plan utilized the
DNR’s EVAAL tool to analyze county data in conjunction with DNR-provided resources. The result
was a priority farm map that allows the County’s conservation technician to make better decisions
on how to spend his time working with thousands of landowners across a 700 square mile area.
In assisting the City of Dodgeville modernize its East Side Cemetery records, we created a program
that will save the city thousands of dollars annually through increased productivity. On this
project, we created an interactive online Cemetery map that allows individuals to find family
members in the cemetery. Before this project, City staff spent hundreds of hours annually looking
up cemetery information in several books and card catalogs.
Troy Maggied – Planning Program Manager, SWWRPC
Katherine Burk – Project Manager, Dodgeville Cemetery GIS Project
Smart Toys
Transportation Data & Applications
Bluetooth/GoPro Cameras
This session will demonstrate three different technologies and applications that can be used by
planners to illustrate transportation impacts to the public and collect transportation data:
microsimulation and visualization for transportation and impact analysis, data collection using
cellphone Bluetooth signals, and data collection using inexpensive video recorders. First,
transportation microsimulation and visualization will be demonstrated to illustrate vehicle,
pedestrian, bicycle and bus transit traffic flows and impacts for a recent roundabout project in
downtown Oconomowoc. Second, we will show how Bluetooth signals in mobile telephones are
used to track vehicles and bicyclists, determine vehicle speeds, and estimate traffic volumes on
individual route corridors. Third, examples from the WisDOT Southwest Region Park-and-Ride
System Study will be used to show how inexpensive GoPro cameras can be used to collect lot and
trail usage data.
Rich Kedzior, AICP – Transportation Planner, TranSmart Technologies
Mike Gingrich - Senior Transportation Designer, TranSmart Technologies
Faceboook & Beyond
Social Media
Time to Demonstrate Your Value
Social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and You Tube have become a fixture in
communications and public involvement campaigns. Many organizations, however, are still
struggling with how to apply these tools effectively and to demonstrate their value. This session
will provide actionable strategies to implementing social media for planning processes based on
real-world examples, research and case studies.
Shane Peck – Senior Communications Manager, Parsons Brinkerhoff
Social Media 101
A Start-Up Guide
This session is intended for anyone that thinks they should be doing more with “social media” in
some way in their planning work, but needs a little more information and a push to get started.
We will review what social media is and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the most
frequently used platforms, including Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instragram and Twitter. We
will tackle common hurdles to social media use such as privacy concerns, etiquette, and the
meaning and use of hashtags, to help you enhance your social media presence in 2015.
Jason Valerius, AICP - Team Leader Planning & Design Studio, MSA Professional Services
Becky Binz – Planner, MSA Professional Services
Lunch Plenary Session
Community Lessons Panel
Using Social Media Tools
Facilitated lunch panel to discuss how local communities of various sizes have integrated social
media into their planning activities, lessons learned, and how using the media has improved their
planning efforts. Lessons learned will include legal issues of implementing the use of social media,
staffing implications, and day-to-day management. Each community will highlight the tools they
use. The panel will also include a consultant who specializes in the legal aspects of how
municipalities implement the use of social media tools.
Facilitator: Carolyn Esswein, AICP, CNU-A
Panel: Amy Bennett, AICP – Planner, City of New Berlin
Chris Swartz – Village Administrator, Shorewood
Neil Stechschulte – Director of Economic Development, Sun Prairie
KateLynn Schmitt – Village of Richfield
Julie Ferris, PhD - public relations supervisor & content marketing specialist, CramerKrasselt