Community Planning in Littleton, New Hampshire
Littleton is a rural community of 7,500 people located in northern New Hampshire. Concordia facilitated a planning process to assist the community in identifying its resources and needs. More than one hundred community stakeholders participated in the master planning process based on the Concordia Nexus Planning Model, which also served as the foundation for an innovative and integrated Geographic Information Systems (GIS) community data base. Another component of the project integrated Space Information Sciences (SIS) work force training programs and resources from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) into the planning model. Through a collaborative alliance between the community and former Governor Jean Shaheen’s “Best Schools” initiative, Littleton served as an example for community-based planning in communities throughout the state.
USA Today
“ Old N.H. Town Catches ‘Smart Growth’ Fever ”
“…This approach [Concordia Model] is a 21st-century planner’s dream. It incorporates all the principles of the much-touted “new urbanism:” Create neighborhoods that encourage personal contact and discourage driving by keeping homes, businesses and public institutions in close proximity…The process forced town and schools officials to set aside their old rivalries. They meet regularly and integrate their budgets, unheard of in many communities.”
