Plan integration and plan quality: combining assessment tools to align local infrastructure priorities to reduce hazard vulnerability

Figures & data

Table 1. Sustaining places: the role of the comprehensive plan (Godschalk & Anderson, 2012).

	Intended Outcome
Principles
Livable Built Environment	Ensure that all elements of the built environment, including land use, transportation, housing, energy, and infrastructure, work together to provide sustainable, green places for living, working, and recreation, with a high quality of life.
Harmony with Nature	Ensure that the contributions of natural resources to human well-being are explicitly recognized and valued and that maintaining their health is a primary objective.
Resilient Economy	Ensure that the community is prepared to deal with both positive and negative changes in its economic health and to initiate sustainable urban development and redevelopment strategies that foster green business growth and build reliance on local assets.
Interwoven Equity	Ensure fairness and equity in providing for the housing, services, health, safety, and livelihood needs of all citizens and groups.
Healthy Community	Ensure that public health needs are recognized and addressed through provisions for healthy foods, physical activity, access to recreation, health care, environmental justice, and safe neighborhoods.
Responsible Regionalism	Ensure that all local proposals account for, connect with, and support the plans of adjacent jurisdictions and the surrounding region.
Processes
Authentic Participation	Ensure that the planning process actively involves all segments of the community in analyzing issues, generating visions, developing plans, and monitoring outcomes.
Accountable Implementation	Ensure that responsibilities for carrying out the plan are clearly stated, along with metrics for evaluating progress in achieving desired outcomes.
Attributes
Consistent Content	Ensure that the plan contains a consistent set of visions, goals, policies, objectives, and actions that are based on evidence about community conditions, major issues, and impacts.
Coordinated Characteristics	Ensure that the plan includes creative and innovative strategies and recommendations and coordinates them internally with each other, vertically with federal and state requirements, and horizontally with plans of adjacent jurisdictions.

Figure 1. Connecting plan integration and plan quality with two assessment tools.

Figure 2. Plan integration and quality conceptual diagram.

Table 2. Sources for documents within the network of plans.

Source	Name of the Document
City of Rockport (http://www.cityofrockport.com/150/Building-and-Development-Department)	A Vision for Rockport: A Master Plan for the Heritage District and Downtown Rockport (2006) (City of Rockport, 2006)
	Rockport Heritage District Zoning Overlay Code (2014) (City of Rockport, 2014)
Aransas County (https://www.aransascountytx.gov/main/	Aransas County Long Term Recovery Plan and Report (2018) (City of Rockport, 2018)
	Aransas County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Action Plan (2017) (City of Rockport, 2017b)
	Aransas County Multi-Jurisdictional Floodplain Management Plan (2017) (City of Rockport, 2017a)

Figure 3. Location of city of Rockport and hurricane Harvey path.

Table 3. Rockport comprehensive plan quality scores.

Sustaining Places	First Draft Plan Score (% of maximum)	Second Draft Revised Plan Score (% of maximum)	Maximum Possible Score
Principle
Livable Built Environment	10 (30%)	25 (76%)	33
Harmony with Nature	7 (23%)	15 (50%)	30
Resilient Economy	10 (48%)	14 (67%)	21
Interwoven Equity	10 (37%)	16 (59%)	27
Healthy Community	6 (40%)	7 (47%)	15
Responsible Regionalism	5 (19%)	14 (52%)	27
Processes
Authentic Participation	9 (43%)	13(62%)	21
Accountable Implementation	11(46%)	12(50%)	24
Attributes
Content	17(71%)	19(79%)	24
Characteristics	13(54%)	22(92%)	24

Figure 4. Final plan integration and quality conceptual diagram for Rockport, TX.

Table 4. Infrastructure-specific policy alignment for Rockport, TX.

‘Sustaining Places’ Infrastructure-specific Best Practice Measures (Godschalk & Rouse, 2015)	Infrastructure-specific Policies within the Network of Plan	Final Infrastructure-specific Policies within the Comprehensive Plan
Livable Built Environment -Plan for multi-modal transportation -Coordinate regional transportation investments with job clusters -Plan for the provision of complete streets serving multiple functions -Discourage development in hazard zones	-Develop pedestrian links to residential districts. [HDMP] - Continue to pursue multi-modal transportation. [LTRP]	-Complete street policies in the multi-modal network (5.3). -Public offices and activity centers are encouraged to be located nearby residential areas in the downtown and bypass areas, for more convenience and accessibility (8.1.3.3.). -Encourage development in areas that are served by existing municipal services and infrastructure and outside the Special Flood Hazard Area (3.1.1.4.).
Harmony with Nature -Plan for the provision and protection of green infrastructure -Encourage climate change adaptation -Provide for renewable energy use -Provide for solid waste reduction -Encourage water conservation and plan for a lasting water supply	-Create a countywide wetlands preservation plan. [MHMP] -Evaluate areas in the floodplain viable for open space preservation. [MFMP] -Fulton Beach Road Restoration with “Living Breakwater Reef” system at the convergence of Copano Bay with Aransas Bay. [LTRP] -Encourage solar energy and other renewable energy alternatives. [RPAT]	-Grants for buyouts, open space preservation, and flood mitigation measures (8.1.3.5.). -Conservation subdivision and environmental corridor district to protect environmentally sensitive areas. -Wetland preservation throughout the city, especially along the bypass (7.1.2). -Renewable energy alternatives, infrastructure improvements that account for sea-level rise, and retrofit and update drainage, sewage and electricity to accommodate redevelopment and new development (3.3.1.8).
Resilient Economy -Provide the physical capacity for economic growth -Plan for transportation access to employment centers -Promote green businesses and jobs -Provide and maintain infrastructure capacity in line with growth or decline demands	-Design and conduct an engineering study to address flooding in downtown. [MHMP] -Provide needed infrastructure in key areas to encourage redevelopment. [LTRP] Consider tax increment reinvestment zone to fund critical infrastructure needs. [RPAT]	-Infrastructure development and maintenance for promoting the economy along the marina (6.1.1.8.). -Capital improvement projects that benefit waterfront development, trail systems, public spaces (6.1.2.1.). -Support eco-friendly businesses by encouraging reduction of water and energy consumption, recycling (6.1.1.6.). -Examine the drainage system prior to future development (3.2.1.3).
Interwoven Equity -Plan for the physical, environmental, and economic improvement of at-risk, distressed, and disadvantaged neighborhoods -Provide accessible, quality public services, facilities, and health care to minority and low-income populations -Upgrade infrastructure and facilities in older and substandard areas.	-Evaluate list of repetitive loss properties for opportunities to partner with property owners regarding potential mitigation actions. [MFMP]	-Provide Infrastructure and Financial Assistance through Development Agreements to Target Areas for developers and homeowners building single family and multi-family housing (3.2.1.2). -Identify areas that would benefit from providing greater accessibility to community facilities and amenities (4.1.2.3). -Budget funds to continue implementing street maintenance schedules for conducting repairs and rehabilitation of roadways (5.2.1.1.).
Healthy Community -Provide accessible parks, recreation facilities, greenways and open space near all neighborhoods -Plan for equitable access to health care providers, schools, public safety facilities, and arts and cultural facilities	-Complete improvements including local small venues (e.g., water feature/playground for kids).[LTRP]	- Collaborate within city departments for park maintenance and green infrastructure projects, prioritizing areas in SFHA (8.1.1.1.). -Adopt a parkland trail dedication ordinance that requires land dedication prioritizing areas in SFHA (8.1.1.2). - Use the utility and drainage easements to connect parks and open spaces (8.1.2.1).
Responsible Regionalism -Coordinate local land use plans with regional transportation investments -Coordinate local open space plans with regional green infrastructure plans -Encourage consistency between local capital improvement programs and regional infrastructure priorities	-Build and support partnerships to enhance mitigation to continuously become less vulnerable to hazards. [MHMP]	- Maintain regular communications with city and county transportation agencies and local transportation stakeholders (5.1.1.1.). -Coordinated capital improvement projects already identified by the City with MFMP, and MHMP (as seen in 8.1.4)

Godschalk, D. R., & Anderson, W. R. (2012). Sustaining places: The role of the comprehensive plan. American Planning Association.

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City of Rockport. (2006). A vision for Rockport: A master plan for the heritage district and downtown Rockport. Building and Development Department.

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City of Rockport. (2014). Rockport heritage district zoning overlay code. Building and Development Department.

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City of Rockport. (2018). Aransas County long term recovery plan. Building and Development Department.

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City of Rockport. (2017b). Aransas County multi-jurisdictional hazard mitigation action plan. Building and Development Department. https://cityofrockport.com/670/Hazard-Mitigation-Action-Plan

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City of Rockport. (2017a). Aransas County multi-jurisdictional floodplain management plan. Building and Development Department. https://cityofrockport.com/655/Floodplain-Management-Plan

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Godschalk, D. R., & Rouse, D. C. (2015). Sustaining places: Best practices for comprehensive plans (Vol. 578). American Planning Association.

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