Our Services

Climate Change Strategies - Climate change will affect every community.  To a large degree, the battle to mitigate and adapt to climate change will won or lost at the local level.  Mr. Shuford was recruited by NOAA's National Climatic Data Center and the University of North Carolina - Asheville to produce a handbook on climate change for urban and rural area planners; the handbook is scheduled for publication in early 2009.  Shuford Planning Services offers a wide range of climate change strategies for preparing your community for climate change resilience and mitigation.

Sustainability and Smart Growth - Sustainable growth balances community character, environmental systems, community infrastructure, and economic development.  Shuford Planning Services can assist your community or development in incorporating sustainable, Smart Growth approaches that achieve your goals and objectives.  The Asheville City Development Plan 2025 (see Comprehensive Plans below) was developed by Mr. Shuford using Smart Growth principles. 

Value-Added Regulations and Processes – Shuford Planning Services believes that regulations and processes that do not add value to a community or a development are counterproductive, impeding creativity, market response, and organizational credibility.  Regulatory requirements should reflect community character, address valid public safety issues, create development incentives, achieve community goals, and be easy to understand.  Regulatory processes should be effective, efficient, and easy to follow.  Shuford Planning Services’ experience in creating value-added regulations and processes can help your community or development be more successful.

Development Approval Strategies - Nothing can be more frustrating than to have your development project fail to gain timely approval.  Shuford Planning Services can help you analyze opportunities and constraints in the development review process that will maximize your potential for success.  This might include developing public relations and stakeholder communication strategies, ensuring application completeness, focusing on community goals, or even timing of project application submittals.

Small Area/Corridor Plans - Community-based planning often occurs in neighborhoods, along key roadways, and at discrete nodes.  Shuford Planning Services has considerable experience in developing small area and corridor plans to achieve a variety of purposes.  The Wrightsville Avenue Plan developed by Scott Shuford in the mid-1980s for Wilmington, NC continues to maintain community character along this heavily traveled roadway that links Wilmington with Wrightsville Beach, while the Broadway Avenue Corridor Plan is currently spurring extensive neotraditional redevelopment in Asheville, North Carolina.

Comprehensive Plans – Shuford Planning Services’ extensive experience in developing comprehensive plans will facilitate long-range planning and visioning in your community.  Shuford Planning Services can assemble a team of planners, designers, and facilitators to develop a practical, implementable comprehensive plan that realizes your community's vision.  The Asheville City Development Plan 2025, largely written and edited by Mr. Shuford, won the 2004 Marvin Collins award for large area comprehensive plans from the North Carolina Chapter of the American Planning Association.  (View this plan at www.ashevillenc.gov under the Planning and Development Department link.)

Public-Private Partnerships - Large-scale, catalytic development generally does not happen without public financial support.  Shuford Planning Services is able to bring its considerable knowledge about forming effective public-private partnerships to address your particular needs and situation.  Whether you are considering tax increment financing, business improvement districts, tax rebate incentives, or other financing mechanisms, Shuford Planning Services is able to assist you in assigning cost and risks equitably, creatively, and successfully so that your objectives can be achieved.

Positive Public Outcomes - Successful public involvement is the result of careful planning, effective facilitation, and clear communication.  Whether you are introducing a new regulation, proposing a new program, or applying for development approval, Shuford Planning Services can utilize our extensive experience in achieving positive public outcomes to enhance your potential for success.