The Case for Visioning
The American Heritage Dictionary defines vision, in part, as
•
Unusual competence in discernment or perception, intelligent foresight
Unusual competence in discernment or perception, intelligent foresight•The manner in which one sees or conceives of something
The manner in which one sees or conceives of somethingThe First Coast/Northeast Florida, like all of Florida, is at a crossroads. It can grow as it has been growing, and address the consequences of growth after the fact. Congested roads, urban sprawl, infrastructure needs and environmental concerns are all issues that will need to be addressed if this path is taken. Alternatively, it can develop a vision for the region that will consider current trends, consider alternative scenarios for future growth and choose the path that the region’s growth will take. This kind of intelligent foresight will allow us to conceive of our own future and give us the steps we may take to make it happen, rather than let the future happen to us.
Answers to your Visioning Questions
What are some examples of visions?
Many parts of the United States have visions or are developing them. Click here for links that will take you to web pages of visioning efforts throughout the United States.
Why Vision at the Regional Level?
Conservation, land use and transportation are three issues that cross over local boundaries and are inherently regional in nature. Click here for more information.
Why use the Regional Council?
Regional Councils or Regional Planning Councils already exist as a platform for visioning, and they have statutory roles including the requirement of adopting Strategic Regional Policy Plans (SRPPs), which is a natural implementation mechanism for visioning. Click here for more information.
Why a Regional Vision Now?
There is state-wide dialogue on the vision issue, as evidenced by the work of the 1000 Friends of Florida and the Century Commission and the studies on the subject that they have commissioned. Click here for more information.
What are other regions in Florida doing?
Click here for links that will take you to examples of regional visioning efforts throughout the state of Florida.
Are there other benefits to visioning?
The act of visioning has its value not only in the production of a Vision, but in the support of the Vision by those who participated in its creation. Click here for more information.
How will we Vision?
The Northeast Florida Regional Council has created the Regional Community Institute of Northeast Florida, Inc. to help guide the regional vision. To find out how, click here.
What steps do we anticipate in Visioning?
•Identify the trends that may be observed when comparing the current condition to the past.
Identify the trends that may be observed when comparing the current condition to the past. •Determine the guiding principles that are valued by the community.
Determine the guiding principles that are valued by the community.•Adjust the assumptions used to identify the future condition to take into account the guiding principles. The alternative future condition is the Vision. For more information, click here.
Adjust the assumptions used to identify the future condition to take into account the guiding principles. The alternative future condition is the Vision. For more information, click here. •Determine what needs to happen in order to achieve the Vision.
Determine what needs to happen in order to achieve the Vision.•Determine how we will implement the changes needed to get us there.
Determine how we will implement the changes needed to get us there. What is our Short Term Tentative First Coast Vision Timeline?
Click here to see it.
What is our Long Term Tentative First Coast Vision Timeline?
Click here to see it.
If you have questions regarding the First Coast Vision
or want to get involved, contact:
Margo Moehring, Director of Strategic Initiatives
Northeast Florida Regional Council
6850 Belfort Oaks Place
Jacksonville, Florida, 32216
Telephone: 904 279 0885 X 161
E-mail: mmoehring@nefrc.org
If you have questions regarding the First Coast Vision or want to get involved, contact:
Margo Moehring, Director of Strategic Initiatives
Northeast Florida Regional Council
6850 Belfort Oaks Place
Jacksonville, Florida, 32216
Telephone: 904 279 0885 X 161
E-mail: mmoehring@nefrc.org
An Overview of Visioning in Northeast Florida
There are several visioning efforts underway in the Northeast Florida region. Each will help us to choose our future, and all will be taken into account in First Coast Vision. Click here for information on those efforts.
