One of the things I appreciate the most as we begin the planning process for our new Babcock Ranch community is the commitment and creativity of the many Charlotte and Lee County citizens who’ve stepped forward and offered to help. The people of this community have a lot of wonderful ideas and their enthusiasm is contagious.
The ideas will really start to flow over the coming weeks during our Babcock Ranch Visioning Workshops which utilize a charrette process. Many people have asked me to explain exactly what a “charrette” is. The French word “charrette” literally means “cart” and was first used in the 19th century in Paris where teachers would circulate a cart, or “charrette,” to collect drawings by architecture students who would throw their ideas and drawings into the cart. Today a charrette describes an intensive workshop where creativity flows, ideas are promoted, and innovative approaches are discovered. It’s an opportunity for a diverse group of people who share a common interest to come together and search for innovative solutions. Through the charrette process we will gather as much input as possible so that everyone’s ideas are collected and evaluated.
We’ll be starting our charrette process with a kickoff “visioning” session. Then, over the next several weeks, we’ll move forward with in-depth discussion and planning during breakout sessions on focused topic areas such as environmental responsibility, green building techniques, education, technology, economic development, workforce housing and hurricane-ready design.
I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all of the people who are committing their time and energy to this process. Experts from across the state and the nation will join forces with a full complement of local educators, business people, environmentalists and community planning and development experts to plan for a vibrant, sustainable community.
Everyone is welcome to attend and participate in this process. To see the full schedule simply click on “Upcoming Events.” If you’re not already registered for the workshops you can do so by calling Kitson & Partners at 561-624-4000 and asking for Sandy Bell. She’ll be glad to assist you. If you can’t attend the Babcock Ranch Visioning Workshops, we’d still love to hear your comments. Simply send your idea or comments to ideas@babcockranchflorida.com. Videos of all the charrette sessions will be posted within a few days on our Babcock Ranch Video Center at babcockranchflorida.com. I encourage you to watch the charrettes, send us your thoughts, ideas and comments, and help us create a legacy for future generations as well as a place residents will be proud to call home.