Online Help for Rapidly Growing Communities

UNH Cooperative Extension and the Center for Integrative Regional Problem Solving (CIRPS) have developed the online Resource Clearinghouse for Rapidly Growing Communities to provide New England communities with a fast, easy way to find experts, information, and other resources to help conserve open space, protect the human health and environmental health, and preserve local character.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ranks sprawl as one of the biggest environmental challenges facing New England, a region that loses more than 1,200 acres of open space to development each week.

Between 1982 and 1997, New England lost open space at almost six times the rate of population growth, while the United States as a whole consumed land at two to one-half times the rate of population growth. Southern Maine, Northeast Massachusetts and the New Hampshire seacoast share the challenges of a steady influx of new residents and tourists from the Boston area seeking escape from urban life and/or rising real estate prices.

The Clearinghouse harnesses the best of what a university can offer: scientific information and expertise, technical expertise in on-line communication, and a multi-disciplinary regional perspective.

Background
Asurvey of local citizens and organizations developed this list of the top 10 issues facing communities concerned with rapid growth: conserving open space, water protection, economic impacts of land use choices, growth management, leadership training, preserving New England character, transportation, economic development, encouraging community collaboration, and affordable housing.

New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts participants at a 2003 CIRPS symposium, The Voices of Communities Experiencing Rapid Change, identified a central clearinghouse providing easy and quick access to information, organizations, and tools as a major way UNH and its external partners could help communities meet the challenges posed by increased growth and development.

A planning group, which included representation from Nashua Regional Planning Commission, Rockingham Planning Commission, New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, NH Office of Planning of Energy and Planning, Concord 20/20, GrowSmart Maine, Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission, Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve, and departments and programs of the University of New Hampshire, formed to develop the Clearinghouse. The NH Charitable Foundation, the NH Estuaries Project and the Maine Community Foundation provided funding for the first phase of the project.

What the Clearinghouse provides
A searchable database focuses on the top 10 concerns of rapidly growing communities. Users get quick access to a variety of valuable information, including links to organizations and agencies that can help communities with these issues; background and contact information for UNH faculty and UNH Cooperative Extension experts on the issues; direct access to ordering information or links to the text of publications and other tools, such as CD-ROMs, other clearinghouses, seminars, and stories from communities that have implemented growth management or smart growth strategies, including best practices and outcomes.

Ask a question
The “query” function of the site allows individuals to plug in specific details about the information they are seeking, providing them with a targeted response of what’s currently available in the Clearinghouse. Additionally, individuals can input “keywords” or “view all resources” in the site.

Find organizations that offer help
A Community Assistance Providers section lets site visitors the resources of many organizations and individuals who can help communities in areas of concern associated with rapid growth. The section offers information about the areas of interest and expertise of the organizations/individuals, the geographic region in which they work, descriptions of what they offer, along with contact information, including a link to the website, if available.

 

Find information tools
The Publications and Other Tools section includes articles and books, data-intensive websites conference information and proceedings; and toolkits. Listings include the type of tool, the region it covers, a brief description, and contact information.

 

Find expert help
An Experts and Consultants section provides information on experts from the University of New Hampshire and other consultants who can provide technical expertise and support to community leaders. These listings include the experts’ areas of expertise and interest, the regions in which they work, as well as descriptions of the individuals’ background and experience, the services they provide and their contact information.

Learn from other communities
Stories compiled from successful action groups in communities that conducted UNH Cooperative Extension’s Community Profile project, as well from UNH students who interviewed community leaders and regional planning commission members. The stories provide site users with the steps towns or citizen groups took to accomplish their goals, as well as links to pictures, and to organizations and experts who provide support.

Help build the site
The submit new resources feature encourages organizations, consultants, community leaders and other, to help develop the site by suggesting resources or simply telling the story about an initiative they’ve developed to help deal with rapid growth— an innovative zoning practice, a visioning process to set future agendas, a successful land preservation effort.

Review and post comments about site features
The Clearinghouse also allows users to give feedback on real-world experience using the resources in the database. This information can be viewed by other online users and will provide site developers with insights they can use to evaluate and improve the site.

For more information about the Clearinghouse, contact Amy Seif at 862-4650, or Michele Gagne at 862-5046.

by Michele Gagne, Program Coordinator for the Strengthening NH Communities Initiative and the Community Profile Project