CommunityViz CHARM Model
Presentation on the Table for Coastal Resiliency: Introduction to the CommunityViz® CHARM Model for the Houston/Galveston Region by Amy Anderson of Placeways and Steve Mikulencak of Texas AgriLife Extension (March 14, 2012). The Houston-Galveston region of Texas is growing rapidly, and much of that growth will be along the coast and its bayous. As these communities plan for their future, they must consider coastal hazards and climate change impacts such as hurricanes, sea level rise, water pollution, flooding, water demand, wetlands and habitat. This project applied a highly interactive, low-cost public outreach and education workshop format that engaged local stakeholders (municipal planners, resource managers, community leaders) more deeply in the regional planning process. The workshop used an innovative hands-on tabletop sketching exercise. In this exercise, participants sketched alternative growth scenarios using infrared pens and a light table and used CommunityViz software to track the likely implications of their plans for a range of issues such as housing, economics, environment, hurricane risk, and water quality. Learn more about the workshop at http://placeways.com/communityviz/gallery/casestudies/pdf/CHARM.pdf.