OKAPA intends to continue scheduling workshops on a regular basis.  Workshop revenues and the AICP rebates provide funding for future workshops.  The AICP grant was used as seed money to reduce the risk of the start-up initiative.  Now that a reserve fund has been established, we can expand our operation and bring in professional speakers. 

OKAPA has attempted to keep the costs down in an effort to make the workshops available to everyone wanting to attend.  We have kept the costs down by utilizing public meeting rooms.  Some examples of the locations that have been utilized are the Tulsa Downtown Library, the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments, the OSU/Tulsa campus, and the campus of Oklahoma City Community College.     

We have mailed to 300 to 500 people for each workshop.  Over the first four workshops, our marketing efforts were limited to Oklahoma.  Beginning with the fifth workshop, OKAPA began mail outs to allied organizations and to out of state planners.  Brochures were mailed to APA members in Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas.  We begin our marketing efforts by emailing brochures to our contact list of 175 people.  Approximately 50% of this list is current APA members.  Inserts have also been placed in our newsletters when the publish date corresponds with timing of the workshop.  

The first OKAPA Mobile Workshop was held in Tulsa on August 4, 2000, with the session topic being Subdivision Design.  The attendance was thirty-six people. This workshop  provided varying perspectives from private and public sectors.  Pittman Poe & Associates, a land planning company in Tulsa, designs up-scale and golf course communities throughout the United States.  The process of taking an undeveloped parcel of land and laying out a subdivision was explained.  Taking advantage of the natural amenities and topography to enhance the neighborhood was identified as crucial to a successful development.  A round-table discussion was held on problems that communities have with their Subdivision Regulations.  Jim Coles and City of Tulsa staff presented some New Urban developments being used to redevelop older commercial areas.  Cynthia Hoyle, AICP spoke about traffic calming and street design.  She brought a fresh perspective of thinking “outside-the-box” when reviewing the regulations and asking questions as to why specific requirements are needed.

  The second workshop was held in Oklahoma City on November 3, 2000 with the session topic being Affordable Housing and Infill Development.  The attendance at that workshop was twenty-five people.  The workshop took an in-depth look at Oklahoma City’s efforts to reverse the deterioration trend in older neighborhoods.  A bus tour of the redevelopment areas provided insight to their activities.  Ten houses in varying stages of development were toured.  Oklahoma City’s efforts to work with non-profit developers were emphasized as a key element in their success.  Deanna Fields, Executive Director for the Manufacture Housing Association of Oklahoma, spoke to the possibility of manufactured housing being used as a cost efficient alternative to stick-built homes.  Much discussion revolved around the installation and the aesthetics/design of the dwellings.  

Financing was the third topic of the day.  Byron DeBruler, Director of the Oklahoma Housing Finance Authority’s HOME Team, spoke of non-conventional development partnerships in the state that have been successful.  He explained how non-profit developers, called CHDOs, could be utilized to bridge the financial gap between affordable and market rate housing and of how a marginal development can be made attractive to the development community.
 

The Small Town and Rural Planning Division of APA co-sponsored the Planning 101: Back to Basics workshop in Tulsa on January 5, 2001. Thirty-one people attended the workshop.  Airfare and lodging of Dr. James Segedy, AICP was paid by the STAR division. 

Dr. Segedy came prepared with a hand-out -literally a book- of his presentation and made recommendations to stimulate public participation.  The four segments of the workshop were:  purpose of planning, community character, economic development, and public participation.  Dr. Segedy was the only speaker during the day.  Everyone enjoyed his humorous look at planning and knowledgeable/useful information.  The Indian Nation Council of Government provided the meals and breaks for the participants.

The fourth workshop, GIS for Planners, was held in Oklahoma City on April 13th.  Sixteen people attended the computer training at Oklahoma City Community College.  GIS for Planners, provided planners with the ability of seeing first hand the benefits of spatial analysis to the planning profession.  The Oklahoma and Texas sales representatives for ESRI previewed the ArcView products and extensions for planners.  This workshop is regularly given by ESRI at the APA national conference.  It allowed those who cannot attend a national conference to experience the session.  Chris Shove, Ph.D. of Space Data Systems showed how satellite imagery could be used to view larger areas at reasonable costs.

The fifth workshop, Aesthetics, Community Character and the Law, was held July 12th, 2001 in Tulsa with 60 people in attendance.  The workshop was based on the PAS Report: Aesthetics, Community Character and the Law.   Matt Goebel, AICP, of Clarion & Associates in Denver and Dennis Box of Williams Box Forshee & Bullard in OKC will explained the municipality’s capabilities in regulating aesthetics and development.  

The workshop was held in Tulsa at the OSU-Tulsa campus with Oklahoma Gas and Electric sponsoring the breaks and refreshments.  Marketing for this workshop was broadened to include non-APA members through the Oklahoma Municipal League, American Institute of Architects, American Society of Landscape Architect, and the Oklahoma Realtors Association.

The first workshop in 2002 was held in Tulsa on January 21, 2002.  This workshop Tiffs and Bids, covered Business Improvement Districts (BID) and Tax Increment Financing (TIF).   Due to a major ice storm the night before, attendance was low with several attendees having to cancel (50 people registered, 18 people attended).

In each of the above slide show presentations, use the outline to the left or click on 
the 'view screen' in the bottom right-hand corner. 
'Mouse Click' to change slides.  'Escape' to quit presentation.