Master Plan - City of Troy

Collaborative Economics state that civicentrepreneurs “…have the personality traitscommonly associated with entrepreneurialbusiness leaders. They are risk takers. Theyare not afraid of failure. They possess courageborn of strong conviction. They are people ofvision. They are passionate and energetic. Theybring out the best in people and know how toencourage them along.”WorkshopTo engage the civic entrepreneurs of Troy, onJune 21, 2007, the City conducted a Master Planworkshop which involved a selected participantlist of over 150 invitees. Those invited toparticipate on the workshop process representeda wide cross section of Troy’s population, andincluded residents, business owners, City officials,volunteers, and other participants.In this workshop, the participants wereengaged to employ the “Smart Growth ReadinessAssessment Tool,” (SGRAT) a new programdesigned by the Michigan Land Policy Instituteat Michigan State University. The tool is designedto help communities learn how to incorporate“Smart Growth” principles into their land usemanagement practices. “Smart Growth” is a termconceived in 1996, when the EnvironmentalProtection Agency lead a group of organizationsto form the Smart Growth Network. The SmartGrowth Network is a group dedicated to creatingnew land development practices which “...boostthe economy, protect the environment, andenhance community vitality,” as stated by theSmart Growth Network.A comprehensive document including theresults of the June 21, 2007 workshop andan analysis of the findings uncovered by theSGRAT can be found in an appendix to thisPlan. The Tool is intended to assess how well acommunity is prepared to develop according tothe Ten Tenets, to allow communities to measureprogress over time, and to supply resources forcommunities interested in growing smart. TheSGRAT is the most comprehensive such tool inthe nation.Chapters 2 through 8 contain a summary ofseveral questions and responses from the surveyand from the SGRAT itself. The sample of SGRATresults chosen for each Chapter were selectedto complement the survey results or highlightareas of particular concern as identified throughvarious phases of the planning process. Allsections of the SGRAT were considered in thedevelopment of the Master Plan.8 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION