Internet-based surveys and urban design education: A community outreach graduate project in Redding, CA

This paper is a contribution to the discussion on how to incorporate community participation into the urban design process within a pedagogical context. It is based on an outreach project by a class in the city planning graduate program at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. The project included an Internet survey to gather community input for a contentious riverfront site in Redding, CA. The responses permitted a study of perceptions, attitudes and expectations about the city and the project area, and an examination of design alternatives. The Internet survey provided 864 responses and generated a rich amount of information that was utilized in the programming and selection of design concepts for the project. The site's proprietors, the community and the media were in full support of the final project, which prompted the city council to appoint a special committee to oversee the advancement of specific policies and recommendations for the area's future development. The effectiveness of the method of public input and the successful project process suggest important pedagogical and professional implications.