February 10–12, 2020
A Community Team-Based Training
The American West is one of the fastest growing and rapidly changing parts of the country. While a lot of financial and policy solutions exist to address these problems, most communities lack the civic culture needed to put those solutions to work.
Details
February 10–12, 2020
Grand Junction, CO
Learn
Are you grappling with how to deal with growth and change in your community? Join us for 2-1/2 days, as you and your team cultivate leadership abilities and an understanding of planning, policy, development tools, community engagement, and strategies for implementation.
Each team will work with a dedicated facilitator to develop action plans for how to achieve better development in their communities—development that is fiscally responsible, adds to community character, and increases housing and mobility choice.
Agenda
Day 1: We’ll start by unpacking the market dynamics that are shaping our communities and their potential impact. Teams will assess the key challenges and opportunities facing their community, considering where they are headed given current growth patterns versus where they want to be in the future.
Day 2: We’ll dive into the tools necessary for getting good projects built in the right places—including land assembly, capital investment strategies, public private partnerships, and plans and policies. Teams will begin to identify strategic areas for new development and consider what tools may be needed to achieve it.
Day 3: The final day is all about how teams can put these concepts to work in their community. Teams will work together and with the training team and their facilitator to develop local action plans, which will outline specific near-term goals and next steps to undertake when the team gets home.
Cost
$600/team (a $6,000 value)
When a team is selected to attend the Building Better Places training, the cost of their lodging, most meals, and all participation expenses are covered. As a non-profit organization, Community Builders fundraises to cover these costs, but asks that community teams contribute 10% of the team cost to ensure buy-in from participants.
Beyond this match, teams are responsible for their travel to the training and dinners. If this cost-share is prohibitive for your community, please contact us to discuss options. Communities will not be asked to submit fees until their application is accepted.
Watch
Find out more from a previous Q&A video, including what to expect, what it means to apply as a team, how to strengthen your application, and more!
Apply
Community teams from Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and Utah are invited to apply. Click “Apply” to learn more. Team applications are due Friday, December 20, 2019.
“Working with Community Builders was a transformational experience for our team. We increased our leadership ability and our capacity to problem solve, plan, and, most importantly, get things done.” —Shawn Barigar, Mayor of Twin Falls, Idaho
Land Use