“Revisioning” the Neighborhood

Approximately 100 people from University Park, Cameron Park,  NCSU, and the the Hillsborough Street district shared ideas and debated solutions at a community planning workshop March 31 at the Talley Student Union. The workshop, or “charette,” was part of the Cameron Village-Hillsborough Street Small Area “revisioning” project. The purpose of the revisioning effort is to review and update long-term plans for the Cameron Village-Hillsborough Street area.

Participants were divided into 12 groups gathered around tables with maps of the area.  Guided by facilitators, the tables –with their mix of residents from the three neighborhoods, business owners, and students– reviewed  and made recommendations regarding issues such as green space, density, parking, zoning, building height and configuration, sidewalks,  and transportation.

The March 31 event was followed by another session on April 1 to review the results of the charette.   The next phase is planned for June, when a preliminary report is expected to be presented. In the meantime, planners said they expect to launch further on-line questionnaires to get more detailed feedback from the community. The “revisioning” project  events are organized by the City of Raleigh planning department and conducted by an urban planning firm.

The project is intended to guide planners and the city government as they address rapid growth and development  in the area, which includes much of University Park. An earlier charette, held in February, addressed the area around Oberlin Road and Cameron Village .