The Atascadero Colony in the 21 Century: Community Profile, Draft General Plan and Community Design Element was developed by the third year undergraduate students in the City and Regional Planning Department at the California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Three quarter-long consecutive Community Planning Laboratories were designed to emulate the process of preparing a general plan using the state-of-the-art techniques employed by professional planners. The project incorporated all aspects of planning, including data collection and analysis, community participation and visioning, goal and objectives formulation, alternative plan development, plan formation, and plan implementation.

The project exposed students to the social and political reality of the planning profession. The City’s Planning Department was affected by political controversies that resulted in the loss of the director and the entire staff. A new director was hired to rebuild the department and to restore a level of trust in the process of planning. This presented a unique opportunity for the students working on the project. First, it forced students into a heated and controversial political climate that was highlighted by controversial issues and conflicting interest. Major emphasis was therefore placed on issue identification, public participation, and community consensus building. Students conducted a widespread public participation campaign that included building public relations, meeting with local organizations, interviewing citizens, and conducting community visioning meetings and design charrettes. In addition, a sincere effort was made to include underrepresented population groups, including the elderly, the youth, the poor and ethnic minorities. Emerson into this process taught students about the social and political realm of urban planning, and at the same time provided the City with valuable information about community issues and needs. More than anything, the process helped to rebuild the community’s trust in the local government.

Atascadero General Plan Project produced three documents. The Atascadero Community Profile provides a comprehensive assessment of the community’s existing conditions and opportunities for future development. It contains the physical, social, economic, and environmental information needed to develop a comprehensive plan. Tables, charts, figures, photographs, and computer generated maps are included in the document. A number of techniques were used to develop the plan, including demographic analysis, land use surveys, site and terrain analysis, economic and employment assessment, professional interviews, and document research. The Community Profile is used daily by the public and the City staff as a valuable reference for project reviews and need assessments.

The second document, Atascadero Draft General Plan is a comprehensive long-range planning document that is based on the community’s goals, values, and desires. It is intended to guide the physical, social, and economic development of the community. A number of methods were used to develop the plan. First, the information that was gathered from the community participation campaign was evaluated to determine the overall goals of the community. Objectives were then created to address the issues and goals of the city. Four alternative plans were then developed and evaluated by the community and the city staff. These alternatives were synthesized into one final plan that best reflected the community. A broad range of policies and implementation measures were then developed to implement the plan. The final plan includes a number of mandatory and optional elements mandated by the state of California: Land Use; Housing and Population; Circulation; Noise; Open Space, Conservation and Recreation; Economic Development; Historic Preservation; Public Facilities and Utilities.

Community Design Element of the General Plan is presented in a separate report. The document was prepared by a concurrent Urban Design Studio and includes the Atascadero Downtown improvement plan combined with a number of user friendly features, including cross referenced policies, and a variety of photographs, and sketches illustrating design guidelines and implementation measures.

The document also includes chapters that describe the community involvement process, the plan concept, and the implementation measures needed to make the plan a reality.

The planning ideas and tools included in the Draft General Plan for Atascadero are currently being used by the City for a comprehensive update of the its General Plan.

The Atascadero Draft General Plan process used creative and innovative ways to address several objectives. These objectives were; to assist the community in examining its options for future development and reconstruction in 2020; to assist the City in initiating the General plan update; and to provide an effective educational tool for the students by giving them a first-hand experience in addressing community planning issues.

The project was designed and carried out in a way which was conducive to bringing together all major parties involved in the planning process—Atascadero citizens, businesses, property owners, visitors and City staff and officials. Students were able to generate good will and a trusting relationship with the community and City staff through face-to-face communications and by their enthusiasm and idealism. They conducted research, and documented and presented the information in a way which was easily accessible to both professionals and the public. This entailed understanding of the community’s social, physical and environmental characteristics, examination of constraints and opportunities for future development, and coming up with specific design proposals and strategies for accomplishing a successful plan proposal. An extensive community outreach program was created and all stages of this effort involved interchange of ideas with the community and City staff. The information was presented using many forms of media including community workshops, news media, written reports, three-dimensional models and a CD-ROM.

The Atascadero 2020 planning process provides a two-fold example that can be replicated. First, it provides a good framework for a long range community planning program that is applicable to communities throughout California and the country. The focus of the program was to prepare a plan that fully reflects a community’s visions and possibilities. This was accomplished by close cooperation with the citizens and the City staff by establishing a venue where a community can come together, and through collaboration with the professionals, accomplish desired results. This approach can also be successful applied to other planning efforts such as the development of specific plans and design studies.

At the same time, this project provides an excellent example of how to complement the education of planning students. Community-based projects have proven to be a very effective way of exposing students to the complexities involved in understanding community planning issues and the workings of "the real world". The students gain practical experiences and a good understanding of the planning process, including the application of planning techniques and the politics of planning. Documents produced by the class are a good source of information and ideas communities can use in their planning process, while the students can use them for the internship and job search as an illustration of their skills and knowledge.

Excellence of analysis, writing, graphics and application of ethical planning principles were incorporated into all phases of the Atascadero Draft General Plan process and preparation of ht final documents. Analysis was thorough and encompassed all relevant information which was presented in verbal, written, digital, and graphic form. In addition to the three reports, a CD-ROM containing the background information and the proposed plan is included. Several community workshops were held utilizing the latest techniques in community visioning and consensus building. These workshops also utilized large wall-size graphics and three dimensional models to clearly illustrate the issues, opportunities and design concepts.

The planning process addressed all relevant information and issues needed to prepare a long range community plan. This included the information related to the socio-economic, physical and environmental characteristics of the community and its region such as demographics, economic activities, circulation, noise, housing, land use, public facilities and utilities, open space, conservation and recreation, and urban design. The process also provided alternative options for future development, evaluation of these options, the proposed plan with all required and several optional elements, and detailed strategies for implementing the plan and achieving the community goals for complete reconstruction of the area.

The Atascadero Draft General Plan development process was a collaborative effort engaging citizens, business owners, City staff and elected officials, and the students. The process not only encouraged, but also necessitated public participation in addressing the planning issues and community wishes. In fact, community involvement was the cornerstone of the success of the plan development effort.

Regular meeting were held throughout the planning process including community workshops and design charrettes. They later were conducted using multi media presentations, three-dimensional models and focus group discussions to solicit participant’s ideas and suggestions. Community input received at these meetings was supplemented by results from an opinion survey conducted with residents, business and property owners. In addition, an informal encounter survey provided valuable information about the views of both residents and non-residents who use and appreciate what the community has to offer. The community received written reports, CD-ROMS and three-dimensional models for the use of future planning efforts.

The final documentation of this planning effort consist of three reports and a CD-ROM containing comprehensive background information about the socio-economic and physical characteristics of the community, and detailed recommendations for future development and restructuring of the community. In addition, the reports provide strategies for governing the implementation of each development proposal. These include alternative plans for specific areas in the community and resulting infrastructure needs including the cost and schedule of individual improvements.

The City of Atascadero has initiated an update of the General Plan as well as a Downtown Plan, and has hired consultants. Both the planning efforts are utilizing the information gathered by the students as well as the community outreach mechanism that was established during the planning process conducted by the students.