Community Compass library

Look it up before the meeting

Plain-language explanations and real questions from residents, volunteers, and local officials about zoning, codes, housing, neighborhoods, organizations, and local economies. Laws and programs change and vary by place, so confirm anything time-sensitive with your local office or the current official source.

Results for “census data survey”Clear search

Guide · Housing & revitalization
A Housing Condition Survey Can Help You Visualize Areas Needing Most Attention
A housing condition survey helps communities or neighborhoods quantify and visualize housing quality issues. Your group can do it youselves.
Visitor question · Environment, transportation & sustainability
Searching for Measurement Scales, Questionnaires, and Surveys for a Thesis
Visitor Question: I am a student in the process of writing my thesis. My topic is Sense of Community and Community Development. I am in search of an instrument,
Guide · Planning, zoning & codes
Vacant Building Registration Provides Data, Revenue, and Incentives for Building Re-Use
Vacant building registration ordinances lead to better data, revenue to address related issues, and importantly, a big incentive to reuse buildings promptly.
Visitor question · Housing & revitalization
"Front of lot" Interpretation
Visitor Question: Hello. I have some deed restrictions on my property. One of which says no residence or outbuilding can be 50 feet from the front of
Guide · Economic & rural development
Build Economic Development on Realities, Not Myths
If you are serious about local economic development, avoid pie-in-the-sky activities that don't attract money to the community, and learn what works instead.
Visitor question · Environment, transportation & sustainability
Clean Your Streams Day 21
Last Reviewed: June 14, 2024 Visitor Story: In September 2017, Partners for Clean Streams hosted the 21st Annual Clean Your Streams Day in Northwest Ohio.
Guide · Economic & rural development
Community Development Banks Lend to Lower Income Clients
Learn how community development banks offer targeted lending and financial services in low to moderate-income areas.
Guide · Neighborhoods & public spaces
Create a Parklet to Add New Interest to a Street
A parklet transforms parking spaces into a sidewalk extension to provide seating, greenery, and perhaps cafe space. Find out how and when to create one.
Guide · Environment, transportation & sustainability
Definition of Urban Sprawl Relates to Urban Land Use
A definition of urban sprawl, explanation and definition of sprawl in smaller towns, and statistics and charts start to tell the story all about sprawl.
Visitor question · Environment, transportation & sustainability
Felt needs community development theory
Visitor Question: What is felt needs theory in community development? Editors Reply: Felt needs is an idea about a change that is considered necessary
Guide · Planning, zoning & codes
How Neighborhood Demographics Affect Housing and Service Needs
Understanding neighborhood demographics trends over time helps communities see where they’re headed, and then figure out strategies to reach the desired future.
Visitor question · Environment, transportation & sustainability
Illegal Dumping: A (not) Love Story
Last Reviewed: June 14, 2024 Website Visitor Writes: Having the unfortunate duties of looking over trash from a municipal aspect involves a lot of difficult
Visitor question · Housing & revitalization
Locating Vacant Properties and Owners
Visitor Question: HOW DO I LOCATE VACANT PROPERTIES AND THEIR OWNERS (IN ORANGE COUNTY, CA)? THANK YOU. Editors' Reply: We don't know of a foolproof way
Visitor question · Environment, transportation & sustainability
Monitoring Community Development
Visitor Question: How do you monitor and evaluate a strategy for community development? Editors Reply: Thank you for a great question. We think that
Visitor question · Planning, zoning & codes
Neighborhood commercial to commercial zoning
Visitor Question: Without any notice, the township rezoned us from neighborhood commercial to straight commercial. We found out because of our tax increase.
Guide · Planning, zoning & codes
Robust Community Engagement Increases Support
Community engagement and public participation for city planning processes may include meetings, open houses, charrettes, surveys, focus groups, and more.
Guide · Planning, zoning & codes
Sound Community Planning Process Based on Six Steps
A community planning process includes data collection and analysis, generating alternatives, choosing a desired future, and writing an actionable plan.
Visitor question · Planning, zoning & codes
Stormwater code enforcement
Visitor Question: What happens if the municipal codes are not enforced and the violation negatively affects the surrounding property? A qualified engineer
Visitor question · Planning, zoning & codes
Typical Percentage of Land Uses
Last Reviewed: June 14, 2024 Visitor Question: What proportion of the land in cities and towns typically is taken up by each type of land use? Editors

Original guidance from A Good Community: How to Make and Keep It, owned and edited by Nancy Thompson (formerly Useful Community Development), shared with permission. Community Compass notes and updates are our own and have not been reviewed by Nancy Thompson.