On Saturday, April 13, 2002, 80 middle school and high school students from the Chicago region participated in an Electronic Town Hall Meeting at APA's National Planning Conference. Several APA members joined the youth to provide a planning perspective. The Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC) sponsored the four-hour event as part of its Common Ground project, which aims to create a Comprehensive General Plan for the region by a participatory process.

The students used handheld electronic polling devices to vote on current issues. They were asked to rank the importance of issues such as education, the environment, and homeland security. The votes were instantly tabulated and displayed to show the opinion of the entire room. Facilitators directed table discussions, and networked laptop computers were used to capture and share ideas.

Working with a map of the six-county Chicago metropolitan area, the students identified important landmarks in the region. Then, they narrowed their focus to the local level and discussed positive attributes of their communities and neighborhoods. During a visioning exercise, participants shared opportunities and threats that they thought might have an impact on the region in the next 30 years.

Common Ground - Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission