In 1996, the City of Eugene conducted a growth management study, "Shaping Eugene's Future," using extensive public involvement to develop a vision of how Eugene should develop and a set of principles for getting there. Today, these principles live on largely as placards on the Council's walls. Unusual for Eugene, our 1996 growth management principles provided a useful and coherent guide for city action for almost a decade.

Is it time again for another community dialogue about the future of Eugene so that we can move affirmatively toward another decade of shared aspirations for the growth of our city?

Professor Ed Weeks directed the public involvement component of the 1996 growth management study. He will review that effort, discuss its conclusions, describe how these conclusions shaped public policy and outline some of the new challenges we face today.

Ed Weeks is associate professor and director of the Deliberative Democracy Project in the Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management at the University of Oregon. He works with local governments across the U.S. to develop strong democratic processes for addressing critical community issues.

Program coordinator: Jerry Diethelm

Our first question will be asked by Jon Belcher, a former Eugene Planning Commissioner.