We have been working for the past six weeks on collecting data on the existing conditions of Jefferson County and deducing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats arising from these conditions. I have really found this element of the project to be very enlightening and encouraging. Jefferson County is so rich in opportunities of so many different kinds and in many ways is the unknown gem of the panhandle. While Tallahassee steals much of the attention, Jefferson County can offer opportunities and resources that Leon County lacks, and those are the options that our studio is going to focus on.
One of my goals for this project is to work on how planning is viewed by some of the members of the county. We have had firsthand experience and reports of residents who are steadfast against planning, but it is my hope that they feel this way because of misinformation and misunderstanding. By keeping our process transparent and interactive, we can combat this view with a community involved and inspired plan. Perhaps by the end of the year many of these residents will have a complete paradigm shift and view planning as a positive and necessary part of the future.
This studio will ultimately combine community visions with our expertise and resources to propose an image of Jefferson County that merges the two elements into one sustainable future. I am really looking forward to the next steps and especially to meet with the community at our two visioning meetings so we can continue our dialogue with the people who know Jefferson County best!
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