Nov 11, 2010 | News
Greenville, SC– Ten at the Top (TATT), an organization created to foster collaboration and planning in the Upstate region, has completed its latest community outreach activity during which 730 Upstate residents, community leaders, business leaders and elected officials participated in one of 12 Community Forums across the Upstate. Participants provided input on “What Matters Most” to them as part of the year-long initiative by TATT to create a Shared Upstate Growth Vision. At least one forum was held in each of the Upstate’s ten counties, with two forums being held in the more populous counties of Greenville and Spartanburg.
The Upstate is projected to add more than 250,000 residents and 200,000 new jobs over the next 20 years. In preparation for this growth, it is important for leaders and decision makers within the region to have an understanding of what residents value about the region today and what they see as priorities for the future in order to maintain and enhance the quality of life that makes the Upstate a wonderful place to live.
Since the beginning of the TATT visioning effort, nearly 9,000 residents across the Upstate have provided input through questionnaires, visioning exercises, community meetings and outreach presentations.
“The community forums provided a great chance to hear first hand from residents across the region as to what they value about living in the Upstate and what they see as being important as we continue to grow,” said Dean Hybl, Executive Director of Ten at the Top. “In each county we met many people who are passionate about where they live and want to ensure that we continue to maintain and enhance the quality of life for all residents.”
All of the input received during the Community Forums, as well as the Regional Vision Summit that involved more than 400 participants on September 28th, is available for review on the Ten at the Top web site at www.tenatthetop.org.
Anyone who was unable to attend one of the community forums but still would like to provide input about what matters to them as we look to the future may do so by going to www.sharedupstatevision.org and clicking on the “Your Voice Matters” icon.
All community input will be used over the next several months by the Ten at the Top Vision & Values committee as they develop the final Shared Upstate Growth Vision.
Current plans call for the Shared Upstate Growth Vision to be unveiled during a Regional Forum and Workshop on April 27, 2010 at the Carolina First Center. As is the case with all Ten at the Top events, the unveiling and workshop will be free and open to the public. Registration will begin in March 2011.
Aug 16, 2010 | News
GREENVILLE, S.C. – On August 19 th , elected leaders from the cities and counties within the 10-county Upstate will assemble for the first-ever Upstate Elected Officials Update, to be held from 4-5 p.m. at the BMW Zentrum.
This leadership forum is being hosted by the Appalachian Council of Governments, Catawba Regional Council of Governments, Ten at the Top, Upper Savannah Regional Council of Governments, Upstate Chamber Coalition, Upstate Forever and the Upstate SC Alliance.
The event is being billed as a great opportunity for County/City leadership to interact with other elected leaders from the region and to learn more about how regional organizations from across the Upstate are all working toward enhancing collaboration, economic vitality and other elements of the quality of life for Upstate residents.
“All elected leaders in the region have a role in shaping the future of the Upstate,” said Dean Hybl, Executive Director of Ten at the Top. “We hope that having regional updates where these key leaders can get to know each other and learn more about what regional organizations are doing to advance the Upstate will be helpful as they look at the future for their local community.”
During the one-hour meeting, each regional group will update the elected leaders on their organizational mission, current activities and overall role within the Upstate.
“A big reason for doing this event is to show the elected leaders there is no duplication of services amongst the regional organizations. Because we have never all stood together to outline our missions and roles, often you hear that there is a perception amongst some leaders within the region that our organizations are duplicating efforts. We want to clear the air on that issue by being real honest in illustrating that each regional group is extremely focused on a set program of work that differs from the others, but ultimately is complimentary. At the end of the day, each of us wants the Upstate to achieve a higher quality of life but it takes what each regional organization is doing to help gets us down that path” stated Hal Johnson, Upstate SC Alliance President and CEO.
Jun 25, 2010 | News
Upstate, SC [June 25, 2010] – The Shared Upstate Growth Vision Survey distributed by Ten at the Top (TATT), a regional organization created to foster regional collaboration and planning in the 10-county Upstate region, generated feedback from more than 6,000 Upstate residents during a recently concluded four-week distribution period. Through the survey, residents from across the Upstate were asked to share “what matters most to you” as we look toward future growth in the region.
The Upstate is projected to add more than 235,000 residents and 200,000 new jobs over the next 20 years. In preparation for this growth, it is vital that leaders and decision makers within the region have an understanding of what people value about the region today and what they see as priorities for the future as we look to maintain and enhance the quality of life that makes the Upstate a wonderful place to live. Survey participants were asked to prioritize issues such as education, workforce development, green space, air and water quality, public safety and transportation. The survey also elicited responses pertaining to how residents envision future growth in both the urban and rural areas of the region.
“We are very pleased with the great interest and feedback we have received from residents across the Upstate,” said Dean Hybl, executive director of TATT. “It is clear that residents care about the future of our region and have specific elements for which they have great passion as we look toward the future.”
The results from the survey, along with other regional studies and information, will be used by the Ten at the Top Vision and Values Committee to create an initial vision statement and vision principles. Residents will then have an additional opportunity to help shape the vision through participation in a number of community forums to be conducted in the fall.
“Having more than 6,000 people participate in our initial survey provides a great start,” Hybl added. “However, we know there are many more residents across the Upstate who care about the future, but have not yet been engaged. Community involvement is the backbone of creating a Shared Vision for the region. We hope every resident that is interested will participate in our future outreach because every voice is important.”
Continued
The survey results and initial vision statement will be shared at a Regional Summit on September 28th at the Carolina First Center. The event is open to the public and attendees will have the opportunity to offer input and help prioritize the elements of the vision. TATT will also host community forums across all 10 counties of the region during the months of October and November where residents will again have the opportunity to provide feedback on the initial vision statement and principles.
In addition to the community outreach, this fall two graduate studio classes at Clemson University will be working with TATT to create the land use model and a regional tool kit that will help communities implement elements of the regional vision that fit for their local community. A second Summit will be held in the spring where the final Shared Upstate Growth Vision and Implementation Guide will be unveiled.
Specific details about how to register for the Regional Summit and Community Forums will be announced in late July.
May 6, 2010 | News
Upstate, SC – As the Upstate region prepares to add more than 235,000 residents and 200,000 new jobs over the next 20 years, the regional collaboration and planning organization, Ten at the Top (TATT), is launching a public input survey on May 10, 2010 to get input from residents on how they would like to see the region grow.
The “Regional Vision Survey” is available for residents to complete between May 10 and May 31 and asks a series of questions dealing with the issues of growth, land use, economic vitality, natural and cultural resources, education and quality of life. It is available online at www.sharedupstatevision.org and in printed form at a variety of locations including municipal buildings, hospitals, libraries and community buildings throughout the Upstate counties – Abbeville, Anderson, Cherokee, Greenville, Greenwood, Laurens, Oconee, Pickens, Spartanburg and Union.
“Input from Upstate residents is vital to creating a regional growth vision that illustrates what people in the region value and what community leaders and elected officials need to consider as we grow,” said Irv Welling, Chair Emeritus of Elliott Davis and the Chair of TATT. “It’s more than just the question of where should we build new subdivisions and businesses, but how we need to look at transportation and road systems, where are new schools needed, how important is historic preservation, and what about farmland and open green spaces.”
TATT worked with the Appalachian Council of Governments and the Metropolitan Studies Institute at USC-Upstate to develop the questions for the survey. The Metropolitan Studies Institute will monitor the results to ensure statistical validity and sufficient representation across the entire region.
“Because it is important to ensure that all residents of the region are represented appropriately, we are distributing the survey as widely as possible through area businesses, municipalities, chambers of commerce, religious organizations, non- profit organizations, the media, and will even reach out to some residents over the phone,” said Dr. Kathleen Brady, director of the Metropolitan Center at USC-Upstate.
Following the survey period, TATT’s Vision and Values Committee will review the survey and develop the elements of a Shared Upstate Growth Vision. Chaired by Dr. John Stockwell, Chancellor of USC-Upstate, the Vision and Values Committee includes representatives from a wide array of stakeholder groups across the entire region.
“The Shared Upstate Growth Vision will help identify the issues of regional scale and significance that go beyond city or county levels to give regional organizations and elected officials an understanding of what elements of our future growth matter to residents,” said Dean Hybl, executive director of TATT.
The Shared Upstate Growth Vision will be unveiled during a Regional Summit on September 28, 2010. During October and November, TATT will hold Community Forums in each of the ten counties of the region during which they will ask residents for additional input on how to implement the vision. An implementation strategy for the Shared Upstate Vision will be finalized during the first quarter of 2011, and it is the goal of TATT to then present the vision and implementation strategy to all city and county governments, as well as businesses and community organizations, across the Upstate.
“Our purpose in Creating a Shared Upstate Growth Vision and implementation strategy is not to tell cities and counties how they should grow,” Hybl said. “It is instead to use the input of residents from across the region to help community leaders understand how their residents envision the future and to identify what elements of a shared vision are appropriate to implement locally and regionally.
“The Upstate is already a great place to live, learn, work and play and we hope that by identifying opportunities to work together to enhance and grow our quality of life that it will continue to be a special place for our children and grandchildren.”
Printed copies of the survey can also be obtained through Ten at the Top by calling 864.283.2315.
Mar 23, 2010 | News
Upstate, SC – The regional collaboration and planning organization Ten at the Top (TATT) today announced a four step, year-long initiative to create a Shared Vision and Implementation Strategy for South Carolina‟s Upstate (known as the Shared Upstate Vision) that will be based on input from area residents, community leaders and elected officials.
According to projections based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Upstate of South Carolina (comprised of Abbeville, Anderson, Cherokee, Greenville, Greenwood, Laurens, Oconee, Pickens, Spartanburg and Union counties) will add roughly 234,000 residents and 200,000 new jobs to the region over the next 20 years. Pending the final results from the 2010 Census, it means the 10-county region could have a population near 1.6 million with nearly a million jobs by 2030.
“We are very fortunate to be a region that is anticipated to continue growing and increasing our economic vitality,” said Irv Welling, the Chair Emeritus of Elliott Davis and the Chair of Ten at the Top.
“However, with that growth comes a responsibility to ensure that we maintain and increase the quality of life for the next generation. Creating a regional vision will help illustrate what people of the region value and what leaders and elected officials need to be looking at as we plan for the future.”
TATT has developed a four step process that combines community input with engagement from community leaders and elected officials from across the region. Below are the steps and project timeline:
Step 1: Community Education and Input – February-May 2010
Step 2: Refining the Vision – June-August 2010
Step 3: Unveiling the Vision/Creating the Implementation Strategy – September-December 2010
Step 4: Publishing of Implementation Strategy – January-March 2011
Presentations and meetings with community leaders and elected officials have been ongoing since the Ten at the Top Board of Directors approved the strategy in February 2010.
The public portion of the campaign will begin with a „Public Input Survey‟ that will be available for residents to complete between May 10 and 31. In this survey, which will be available both over the internet and in printed form, residents will answer a series of questions dealing with the issues of growth, land use, economic vitality, natural and cultural resources, education, and quality of life.
The land use questions will build on the information collected in April 2009 during the „Upstate Reality Check‟, which was coordinated by Ten at the Top and engaged more than 400 leaders from across the region in a day-long exercise to look at future growth within the region.
That exercise identified four potential patterns for future on-the-ground growth in the region:
Dispersed Growth Development: Reflecting current growth trends, this scenario places less development in existing city centers; adds growth throughout the region; separates jobs from residential areas; and increases dependence on roads and automobiles.
Corridor Development: Placing development along existing and projected roads and transit corridors, especially near transit stops, this scenario provides a mix of jobs and housing.
Center Development: Concentrating new growth primarily in existing city centers; this scenario mixes housing and jobs while also conserving open space and rural lands.
Village Development: Supporting development in small towns as well as larger cities, this scenario provides goods and services on downtown main streets, combines households and jobs in town centers and preserves rural character.
The Appalachian Council of Governments and the Metropolitan Studies Institute at USC-Upstate are developing questions for the survey with input from the Ten at the Top Vision and Values committee. The Metropolitan Studies Institute will also monitor the results to ensure statistical validity and sufficient representation across the entire region.
“Because it is important to ensure that all residents of the region are represented appropriately, we will identify the number of respondents we need from each county to constitute a representative sample and take measures to make sure that we obtain enough responses,” said Dr. Kathleen Brady, Director of the Metropolitan Center at USC-Upstate. “We will distribute the survey as widely as possible and if necessary will reach out to residents in some counties by the telephone to ensure that we get a wide understanding of what matters to the residents of our region.”
Following the community survey period, the TATT Vision and Values Committee, which is being chaired by Dr. John Stockwell, Chancellor of USC-Upstate, and includes representatives from a wide array of stakeholder groups across the entire region, will review the survey results and develop the elements of the regional vision.
“The Shared Upstate Vision will help identify the issues of regional scale and significance that can be addressed from a broader perspective than only at the city and county levels,” said Dean Hybl, Executive Director of Ten at the Top. “It also will provide a roadmap to give regional organizations and elected officials an understanding of what elements of our future growth matter to residents.”
The Shared Upstate Vision will be unveiled during a Regional Summit in September 2010. For the Regional Vision to be successful, it will take community buy-in and an implementation strategy. At the Upstate Regional Summit and then in the following weeks at Community Forums held in each of the ten counties in the region, participants will be asked to provide input on how to ensure public support and how the Shared Upstate Vision can be implemented in an effective and efficient manner.
“Many people have the mistaken idea that regional planning is about creating a large homogeneous, generic megapolitan area, when in fact the goal of successful regional planning is quite the opposite,” said Rick Danner, Mayor of the City of Greer and a Ten at the Top Executive Committee Member. “The mission of Ten at the Top as I see it is to recognize, identify and plan for changes that will affect the Upstate region and then proactively inform and educate our citizens so that they can make informed decisions about the future of the region.
“My vision for the Upstate, with the help and direction of TATT, is to help preserve those things we hold dear, sense of community, the environment and robust economy within the framework of a well planned growing and changing region.”
An implementation strategy for the Shared Upstate Vision will be finalized during the first quarter of 2011 and one goal for TATT during the remainder of 2011 will be to present the vision and implementation strategy to all city and county governments in the region as well as to businesses and community organizations across the Upstate.
