Community Planning Days

Community Planning Days

Sponsored by the Maaster Plan Committee, Community Planning Days was a weekend long visioning session that was held on April 27-28, 2007. This event provided a forum for Easthampton citizens to learn, think, and talk about their ideas for the future of the city, and whar issues are of modt concern to them.

Friday night's community supper provided
residents the opportunity to listen to two
keynote speakers talk about the success and
challenges of planning for Easthampton's future.
Landscape Architect Walter Cudnohufsky
started the evening by providing a virtual
walking tour of Easthampton (click here for a
copy of his presentation), and asking the
question, "Do you love Easthampton enough?"
Regional Planner John Mullen, a self described
"mill rat" and Director of the Center of Eco-
nomic Development at the University of
Massachusetts-Amherst, touched on numerous
regional, statewide, and local statistics and
trends of mill communities that the Master
Plan Committee should be aware of as they
move forward through this process.

Saturday provided residents the opportunity
to participate in a full-day visioning session,
including focus group discussions facilitaed by
Master Plan Committee members, and a Town
Meeting forum facilitated by Walter Cudno
hufsky and Mollie Babize of Walter Cudno
hufsky Associates, Inc. Held at the White Brook
Middle School, the Master Plan topic, including
maps, photos, handouts, videos, and mobiles.
A summary of the focus groups discussions
can be found here, and a full summary and
analysis of Community Planning Days can be
found here.

Participants of Community
Planning Days on Saturday browse
the gallery display created by the
master Plan Committee members.

Participants try to reach a consensus on key
issues and challenges for Easthampton.

Master Plan Committee members and local
residents participate in a focus group
discussion on economic development.