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Planning & Community Development

At Laberge Group, we work closely with the municipal staff, elected and appointed officials, business leaders, and civic leaders who are our clients. Our philosophy is that our clients are the experts about their community, the political environment, and the vision of how they want to approach change. Our job is to complement that knowledge and local expertise with new ideas, a fresh approach and our many years of experience.

Our approach to planning and community development is unique due to our team’s:
  • Hands-on experience; 
  • Dedication to collaborative problem solving; and 
  • Commitment to implementation and tangible results. 
EXPERIENCED PLANNING TEAM
Our award winning Planning and Community Development staff includes nationally certified urban, regional, environmental, and land use planners with expertise in community and downtown revitalization, master planning, land use planning, grant writing, and program implementation. These seasoned professionals are experienced at implementing projects, both as former local government planners and as private sector consultants. Drawing on this direct implementation experience enables the team to proactively identify potential challenges and leads to more efficient and productive assessments, problem identification, and strategy development.
 
Laberge Group’s Community Planning and Development team have established a proven track record of employing data analysis, public participation, and municipal team building to develop impactful community plans. Members of this team are routinely sought after to address the strategic planning, organizational development, and legislative leadership challenges facing communities throughout New York State. Their expertise has been recognized by many in the field, and our staff has been asked to present seminars at numerous NYCOM Conferences, the New York State Association of Towns Annual Training School, and the New York Planning Federation Annual Meeting.

COLLABORATIVE PROBLEM SOLIVING

We are known for working closely with the elected officials, community leaders, municipal staff, and community members of the municipalities we serve. Because our clients are the experts on their community, they are indispensable contributors to establishing the vision for the community’s future and for developing the strategies and specific projects that will be the catalyst for change to realize the common vision established during the planning process. 

Some of the hands-on collaborative tools we use to facilitate effective information gathering and collaborative solution development include:  
  • Structured and facilitated kick-off meetings to ensure that each project begins on a strong footing.
  • Continued coordination throughout the project process to review progress and fine-tune tasks.
  • Development of questionnaires designed to glean detailed information, while maximizing the use of meetings by obtaining information in advance.
  • Visioning sessions that provide opportunities for meaningful participation from elected officials, their staff, department heads, stakeholders, and other participants deemed appropriate. These immersive meetings can include Town Hall discussions, Roundtable sessions, one-on-one interviews, and/or small group workshops.

IMPLEMENTATION AND TANGIBLE RESULTS

Laberge Group’s Planning and Community development team has played an instrumental role in developing successful Comprehensive Plans, Economic Development Plans, and Main Street Revitalization Initiatives. Because of our long-held dedication to developing implementable and impactful plans that lead to positive measurable outcomes, these projects have led to strategy implementation that has benefitted client communities throughout the State of New York. By identifying and prioritizing specific projects, assigning responsible parties, identifying funding sources, and attaching explicit timeframes, we develop plans that are not “put on a shelf,” but rather are put to work to benefit the residents, business owners, and stakeholders in the communities we serve.