Community Development

Community Development programming helps to solve local problems by assisting community leaders, building of local organizations and groups, assessing local needs, identifying assets and capacities and bringing together diverse elements to work together for the well being of the entire community. Training sessions are offered to strengthen the citizens' ability to make informed decisions and mobilize appropriate resources.

2008 Professional Development Opportunities

Planning and Zoning 101 for Local Officials

This program is a combination self-study/workshop educational series designed to help local elected officials and planning commissioners stay abreast of the innovations and changes in the fields of planning, zoning, and land use. Participants have described the program as “information you can use right now!
 
Why Is Planning Important?
The Public Planning Process
Plan Commission Powers
Major Ohio Land Use Laws
What Do All The Acronyms Mean?
Zoning Principles, Role of Zoning Inspector
Variances
Public Meetings and Participation

Fee Contracted Services for Municipalities
Brownfield's & Redevelopment Studies
Economic Development, Housing & Transportation Studies
Environmental Impacts Studies
Property Rights and Eminent Domain Legalities Studies
Smart Growth Assistance Program
Smart Growth has been loosely used to describe a method of planning that allows a community to grow while maintaining the quality of life its residents currently enjoy.

Ohio communities that wish to regulate the use of land (i.e., zoning, platting, building codes, etc.) must have an adopted comprehensive plan that meets the requirements set out in the statutes. While the limited time and resources of the Ohio State University Extension staff will not usually allow them to write or otherwise participate in the data collection or analysis of a community's comprehensive plan, the staff is ready to provide assistance in a variety of other helpful ways:

-Provide overall information and insights into the requirements of the new "Smart Growth" law, including funding options. 
-Assist communities in designing and facilitating public participation efforts.
-Help communities access data and resources available from other agencies. 
-Coordinate intergovernmental cooperation among governmental units. 
-Review plan drafts and provide constructive feedback.
-Community Visioning

Are you satisfied with your community the way it is?

Answering this question is a major (and often the first) phase in a community-wide comprehensive planning effort. Visioning is the process of looking beyond the present to imagine the future. There are generally five main steps:

-Understand current issues facing the community.
-Identify problems the community can work to address.
-Identify strengths the community seeks to preserve and perhaps enhance.
-Identify opportunities on which the community can build.
-Based on a consensus of the participants, create a brief written and illustrated report describing the desired future that addresses all or most of the above.

Naturally, the more participation there is by local officials, community leaders, and residents, the more accurate and credible the final vision will be. Ohio State University Extension staff is available to help facilitate the visioning sessions and to provide overall guidance in working through the five steps listed above.

Continuing Education for Real Estate Professionals
Ohio State University Extension Hamilton County is an approved State of Ohio Real Estate Division Department of Commerce Vendor. 

Please contact Deborah Carney at 513-946-8994 if you have questions on any community development educational programs offered in Hamilton County .

What past participants have said about OSU training classes:
"Readily applicable information"
"Most informative classes I ever attended"
"Got to the point of the session-instructors were very good"
"I traveled 35 miles to attend classes and information provided was well worth it"
"All continuing education seminar participants should be so lucky"