Is there software that works like SimCity and displays costs and impacts for different types of growth?
While they aren’t exactly like SimCity, there are a lot of tools that can give you indicators. Portland, Oregon has done a lot of this. A group from Oregon does template maps that include some of the costs. Most are GIS-based and you can weight the formulas. Some programs are very technology-intensive, others are not. Citizens want to see quick results. Real-time analysis is great. Q: The cities in our region are competing with each other for growth. Did you see that in the Boise region? A: Yes. We created one scenario called “suburban explosion” that put all the residential growth in one county and jobs in the other. This helped the cities understand the need for jobs-housing balance. Q: How did you get buy-in from local jurisdictions? A: Some jurisdictions felt the scenarios did not reflect their comprehensive plans and are thus not valid. We are still struggling with that. There is suspicion about regional planning. Q: How will you implement the plan? A: We will ask local government