The Community 101 program is coming to the Columbia community!

On January 28, 2025, the first Steering Committee meeting was held at the Porter Sanford III Performing Arts & Community Center. Active community leaders joined our team to provide thoughtful input regarding the Columbia Community 101 program.

Columbia Community 101 Steering Committee #1	Survey - open to all Columbia residents! (closes April 1, 2025)

Several key topics discussed at the meeting include:

• What is Community 101? – We explored the foundational concepts of community engagement and the importance of understanding the diverse needs and dynamics within our community. This program is an initiative aimed at empowering communities and fostering partnerships through education on policy, zoning, land-use, and other planning-related matters.
• Overview of the 2050 Unified Plan & County Organizational Structure – This portion provided a comprehensive look at our county's planning efforts in breaking down the 2050 DeKalb Unified Plan and the role of Planning & Sustainability in supporting these goals.
• Why Plan? – We discussed the critical reasons for long-term planning, ensuring that we’re not only meeting current needs but also preparing for future growth and challenges.
• Transportation – The discussion around transportation highlighted the policy that maintains improvements to enhance equity, funding availability, agency coordination, and inter-agency coordination.
• Future Land Use, Zoning, and Sustainability – We examined how zoning and land use decisions will shape the county’s future and contribute to sustainable development practices.
• Housing Profile – We reviewed and analyzed the county’s housing profile, which will help us plan effectively for future housing needs and challenges.
• SWOT Analysis – The group engaged in a productive SWOT analysis, identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to ensure we’re aware of the internal and external factors that we can address through this program.
• Identifying Needs & Opportunities – We concluded the meeting by giving a brief overview of what Community 101 is and the roles of steering committee members to lead this program within their community.

With the support of the community, we are looking forward to hosting the first Columbia Community 101 public meeting soon. Stay tuned for more information!