URBAN LAND INSTITUTE PANEL INVITED TO IDENTIFY POSSIBILITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES ON NANTUCKET

During the week of October 12, a five-member panel from the world renowned Urban Land Institute (ULI) will visit Nantucket and involve a broad cross section of some 150 island residents in its study of  possibilities and opportunities for the economic, social and environmental future of downtown Nantucket.
Sponsored by ReMain Nantucket, the five day panel has the task of conducting an intensive study of a short list of important questions about downtown Nantucket and its relationship with the rest of the island.   The panelists are members of ULI, a nonprofit educational and research institution with more than 40,000 members including architects, public officials, academics, land developers, lenders, planners and urban designers.  Through its Advisory Services Program, ULI offers panels worldwide, addressing a wide range of urban land use and community support issues, drawing on the knowledge and experience of its members, who volunteer their time to participate in the extensive advance study, the panel days, and the preparation of a final set of recommendations.

“We are sponsoring the ULI study in order to gain a deeper understanding of the ways we might continue to meaningfully invest in the downtown district of Nantucket,” said Melissa Philbrick, of ReMain Nantucket.  “People express concern about the closing of valued businesses, the seasonal traffic issues, and the need for anchor institutions in the downtown.  By listening deeply and broadly to the island community, the ULI panel can help to provide us with some clarity on our priorities as a philanthropic organization committed to working together with the Town and the community to address some of these concerns.”

Tom Eitler, who directs the advisory program, says that ULI’s analysis produces excellent results time after time because it is drawn from the combination of input from a variety of land use experts coupled with substantial contributions from representatives from the community.  More information about ULI and other panels conducted by ULI is available at www.ULI.org and through the ReMain Nantucket office at 50 Main Street.   Drafts of the questions to be considered are posted at www.remainnantucket.org and community feedback is welcome. “The panel process helps to identify potential solutions to the questions raised, and can help to build a consensus that benefits the entire community,” said Eitler.  “The advisory panel is about seeing things in a fresh way.  The community can take it from there.”

Wendy Schmidt, president of ReMain Nantucket, said “Although our scope on Nantucket is smaller than some of the other projects in major urban areas that ULI has worked on, the results of its analysis on Nantucket are equally important as this community makes decisions about the future of its downtown and locally owned businesses, its transportation, and the environmental sustainability of the island and its resources.  Since Nantucket was recently named in the top ten communities for smart growth in planning in Massachusetts, we are confident the ULI panel this fall will feed into a dynamic and forward looking system.”

ULI Panel Presentation (7 mb)

Questions for the Panel

Briefing Book

Briefing Book Chapters 1-3 (2mb)
Briefing Book Chapter 4 (6 mb)
Briefing Book Chapter 5 (8 mb)
Briefing Book Chapters 6-8 (11 mb)

Public Comment Sheet