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KEEPING OUR FUTURE BRIGHT WITH Why We Need a Realtiy Check
Two reasons: to grow well and to remain competitive in a global economy. The Research Triangle region is growing and will continue to grow well into the future. A generation ago, in 1970, the region was home to 763,254 people. Today, it holds 2.03 million people, and in 2030, the region is projected to be the home of over 3.2 million people – larger than present-day Charlotte, San Antonio, Orlando or New Orleans regions. This growth makes sound planning imperative, particularly in the areas of local land use decisions, livability and environmental sustainability. Also, regional cooperation has emerged as a key to success in competing on the world stage. According to the Urban Land Institute, “those regions with a clear plan for how they are going to grow, a plan that has broad-based support from the private, nonprofit and public sectors, will have a key competitive advantage.” Reality Check will allow the Triangle area to use regional visioning as a dynamic and important tool for building consensus related to growth issues. What is a Reality Check?
Reality Check is a process that engages leaders from around the region in discussions about growth and how to compete in a global economy. The actual event is a half-day visioning exercise that allows participants working in diverse groups to discuss and make suggestions about where housing and jobs should locate around our region over the next 25 years. The Reality Check exercise is a program of the Urban Land Institute. In the Triangle region, the process is a joint initiative of Triangle Tomorrow and the Triangle District Council of ULI. The co-chairs of the Research Triangle Regional Reality Check are:
The Steering Committee also includes chairs of various Reality Check committees, and representatives from the boards of Triangle Tomorrow and the Triangle District Council of ULI. About 300 participants will be invited to the half-day Reality Check exercise, which will be held on February 24, 2009. Results will be presented at the summit to a larger group of about 1,000 interested stakeholders on the morning of February 27, 2009. Workshops will be held ahead of the exercise to give the participants a better understanding of how the exercise will work, and of economic and demographic trends, infrastructure needs and other growth issues and challenges in our region. What Happens AfterwardThe results of the exercise will be used to kick off a long-range planning and implementation process designed to help leaders and residents envision alternative growth scenarios. For more information: Pam Wall, Executive Director, Triangle Tomorrow
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