Laying the Foundations for Healthy Built Environments
Resiliency and responsiveness are central to well-planned communities. Cushing Terrell planners work with both urban and rural communities to provide aspirational plans that guide growth and preservation for the future.
We work in diverse geographies from rural farming communities to some of the densest urban environments in the U.S. and Canada. Cushing Terrell planners have developed award-winning projects and constantly strive to remain at the forefront of thought in the dynamic places we work.
Throughout 2020, the dedicated Cushing Terrell crew guided a steering committee, a stakeholder group, and the general public through a process that was challenging to navigate during a pandemic. They did it with great skill, grace and professionalism. The creative solutions they came up with to accomplish the goals set before them were inspired. Cushing Terrell exceeded our expectations, and the finished product is something the community of Great Falls will be very proud of upon implementation.
Joan Redeen
Community Director, Great Falls Business Improvement District
Great Falls, MT
Community Engagement with a Commitment to Equity
At Cushing Terrell, we know that real, authentic, and innovative community engagement is critical to the success of most planning efforts. We also understand that traditional approaches to outreach can exclude some community members due to language barriers, feedback methodology, the location and time of engagement events, and more. Therefore, we employ methods with a specific emphasis on broad engagement by intentionally reaching out to — and amplifying the voices of — communities and populations that have historically been left out of planning and decision-making processes.
We balance objective data with qualitative feedback and employ outreach methods that invite participants to define project values and reach agreements while keeping the door open for creative, fun, and fiscally responsible expression.
Given the occasional difficulty with large, face-to-face engagement, our focus is on facilitating activities that are equally immersive whether in-person or virtual. The goal is to reach targeted audiences and key stakeholders to achieve a broad understanding of the community’s vision. Thus, participants can feel empowered to feel they have a voice and that the project ultimately reflects their values and priorities.
Cushing Terrell demonstrated both exceptional patience and support for our community’s needs to achieve the successful outcome of our Comprehensive Plan. They walked the ‘planning best practice’ talk of creating a truly community-driven planning process.
Marjo Curgus
Planning Comissioner
Chaffee County, CO
Success Begins With Planning
Comprehensive planning defines a clear path toward real-world solutions, attainable results, and visionary projects. Our master planning work has promoted sustainable economic development and brought meaningful social and cultural benefits to many communities. Our long-range and current planning includes subdivision, zoning, mixed-use community design, market analysis, growth policies, area structure plans, master plans, comprehensive plans, code development, and housing studies.
Cushing Terrell is experienced in working with large stakeholder groups and has facilitated many open-to-the-public community engagement workshops. With the onset of COVID-19, our already wide use of social media and interactive websites — featuring conceptual plans, calendars, polls, contact information, and more — has become even more vitally important.
Over the course of three months, Cushing Terrell conducted an assessment of roughly 900 acres of land along with a mixture of water rights and a 1,300 acre-foot reservoir. During this time Cushing Terrell spent a lot of time in our town conducting interviews with community members, analyzing the site with the existing infrastructure, and reviewing the water rights. By spending this time at the site and with our community, Cushing Terrell was able to capture our priorities. We were very impressed with the team.
Phillip Puckett
Town Administrator
Buena Vista, CO
