All files classified under: Facilitation

As part of the Borderlands Project’s exploration of how to balance development and conservation in the rural CT-RI border region, the Village Innovation Pilot (VIP) engaged two towns in creating and implementing a vision for their future. Guided by technical experts and local pilot teams, residents participated in visioning and planning exercises to explore how to preserve a meaningful sense of place (the “heart and soul” of the communities) by integrating new development into town villages and centers.

A group of charitable organizations came together to create a non-profit homeless shelter in West Chester, PA, but faced objection by local businesses and residents due to fears about public safety. The County subsequently established a mediated process for working through these issues. Over the course of four sessions and many private caucuses, parties reached and amicably formalized agreement about what services the homeless shelter would provide and when.

CBI (with CBI Partner Raab Associates, Ltd.) collaborated with the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) to design and facilitate the National Energy Policy Initiative. The Initiative’s goal was to build consensus on national energy policy among a diverse group of distinguished energy experts, and to bring that expert consensus to the attention of policy makers in Congress and the Executive branch.

The proposal by a Montana cement plant to burn hazardous waste raised public health and environmental concerns for nearby neighbors. In response, the Jefferson County Planning Board appointed a committee to draft zoning recommendations that would address the concerns of the community. The 11-member committee worked for six months to develop these recommendations, which were refined and adopted as part of the Jefferson County Vicinity Plan.

CBI assists twenty-six stakeholders to reach agreement on the restoration of the urban lower Neponset River in Boston, Massachusetts.

Aquaculture is the fastest-growing food production system in the world, and the trend is projected to continue. Although the industry provides an important opportunity to supplement the oceans’ food supply, it can also cause significant social and environmental impacts if managed improperly.

In 2008, WWF asked CBI to help coordinate a global consensus-based standard setting process that will result in scientific and credible social and environmental performance measures at the farm-site level. Subsequently, CBI has worked with WWF’s coordinators to improve the quality of decision-making among stakeholders worldwide—including scientists, producers, civil society groups, and NGOs. By providing planning and facilitation services for numerous stakeholder meetings around the globe, CBI has supported six global aquaculture dialogues related to shrimp, salmon, pangasius, tilapia, shellfish, and trout.

CBI has worked with the Town of Stratford, Connecticut, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) seeking to address the consequences of fifty years of the manufacturing of asbestos-lined brake shoes.

CBI plays a key role in assisting private, public and government entities in the Boston area work collaboratively to identify local air quality problems and voluntarily address them by adopting innovative strategies to raise awareness and implement technical solutions.

Landowners proposed a 5 lot residential subdivision on 30 acres in the town of Morrisville, Vermont. The parcel of land was located in a "Rural Residential with Agriculture" zoning district and also included in the overlay zoning district for the Public Community Ground Water Source Protection Area (WSPA). A municipal water department opposed the subdivision because of potential impacts to the groundwater.