The Agenda

Deller and the Road Ahead

Providence Tomorrow — a planning process designed to create a framework for growth and preservation of Providence neighborhoods — aims to involve community members through a series of Neighborhood Charrettes, scheduled from Spring 2006 until Fall 2008. The two-year plan kicked off at an Ice Cream Social, attended by almost 200 people, at Roger Williams Park Casino on July 26th. Thom Deller, the head of the Department of Planning and Development (DPD), asked community members to generate lists of the things that they liked and disliked about their neighborhoods. The DPD passed out disposable cameras, and encouraged participants to illustrate the lists with photos. Overall, the event was quite positive, and a refreshing change from the usual mystery that shrouds city planning decisions. Thom Deller sat down with us to talk about the new open and transparent initiative, and the future of Providence.