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With unincorporated areas, towns, and cities, Delaware's land use planning can get complicated. The Institute for Public Administration (IPA) partnered with New Castle County to demystify the planning process through a series of free online courses for county residents.
Through its Local Government Training Program, IPA has a long history of providing continuing education to municipal officials on land-use planning topics. Richard Hall and Andrea Trabelsi, of the New Castle County Land Use Department, reached out to IPA's Sean O'Neill and Sarah Pragg to create Planning 101 in preparation for the county's comprehensive planning process.
"The New Castle County Land Use Department recognizes the importance of planning education as part of fostering an engaged citizenry," said Rich Hall, General Manager. "We are happy to have worked with the UD IPA to develop the Planning 101 tool, which brings education to the community in an easy, convenient format."
Planning 101 discusses why planning matters and helps to explain the planning process. The self-paced courses consist of five video modules and quiz questions. After completing the online courses, participants will receive a Citizen Planner Certificate. The county's new comprehensive plan, NCC@2050, will be developed through a community-driven process, including virtual public meetings, community surveys, and interactive mapping tools. The Planning 101 courses emphasize the value of comprehensive plans and the importance of public input.
County Executive Matt Meyer put out a call for "broad public input from every neighborhood, every industry, and every person to help build a vibrant, resilient, and inclusive future that reflects our community values and aspirations." Meyer introduces the first video in the Planning 101 series.
Learn more about the county's comprehensive plan, including enrolling in Planning 101.
