Welcome!

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Purpose

The objectives of this project are to assist the South Central Illinois Region in future visioning, and general regional and local planning using LEAM technologies, public engagement, and web-based information dissemination strategies.  The results of land use simulations are visualized here in this data center, in a number of dynamic and static, detailed and summary representations.  This web-based interface allows users to retrieve and interact with this data.  This interface serves as a mechanism through which citizens of the region can engage with and be educated by land use simulations. Through this engagement process, it is possible to document citizen opinions about the causes and effects of land use transformation and to narrow differences and build consensus about the most appropriate future for the region. 

To find out more about LEAM, visit the FAQ page for a brief introduction.  See the LEAM Lab website for additional information on the LEAM model.  

Contents   

1. Preliminary Information

The preliminary report has three main goals and was the first step in the LEAM process.  This report was prepared to provide background information prior to the public participation process.  The three main goals of this report are:

• To get a sense of where we are now, we look at household change by census block from 1990 to 2000 and a map of current urbanization in the region. 
• To begin developing an understanding of where the region is headed, we then present the first steps through a simulation tool called the Land use Evolution and impact Assessment Model (LEAM). 
• To conduct more detailed LEAM simulations, we conclude with additional information needed from residents and others knowledgeable about the region.

You can download the complete report in PDF format here. 

You can view the html version of the report here.

2. Workshop Results

On March 13, 2007, over 70 local stakeholders participated in discussions on key drivers of growth and different future scenarios of relevance to the region.  The workshop began with an initial presentation that described the purpose of this project, background information on the current status of the region, and a description of the tools and methods used to describe possible land use futures in the region and their implications.  After the presentation, workshop participants were divided into seven groups of 8-12 people each for two breakout sessions.  Participants were asked to consider questions posed in three critical areas: assessing preliminary LEAM outcomes in terms of future growth patterns; identifying what drives where growth occurs in the region; and ideas of future “what if?” scenarios to consider simulating.  Each group was assigned a facilitator and a scribe to document the brainstorming session.  After 30-45 minutes of brainstorming, facilitators took the list of ideas from their group and put them on the wall in the main meeting area. Then each participant was given the opportunity to vote on these questions to help prioritize what to include in LEAM.  The report summarizes the ideas that emerged from these discussions, which will drive the continuing work by the University of Illinois on important growth issues in this region to help the region develop a vision for the future. 

You can download the complete report in PDF format here. 

You can view the html version of the report here.

3. Scenario Planning

The scenario report is the third stage of the LEAM process.  This stage uses the input from the public participation meeting that stakeholder see as potential drivers for future land use change, but further refined to explore policy implications that local planners and stakeholders would like to see examined further.  The four main goals of this report are:

• To view land use change impacts of each scenario in a variety of methods such as growth by county, school district, township and watershed.  
• To easily compare the impacts that alternate scenarios will have on land use and growth implications compared to the business-as-usual scenario. 
• To begin to explore what effects these future policy changes and land use growth will have on natural resources, such as prime farmland, watersheds, streams, and threatened and endangered species.
• To facilitate collaboration and communication between stakeholders and planners in the region to begin thinking about policy decisions and implications of development at the regional level. 

You can download the complete report in PDF format here. 

You can download images and shapefiles of regional scenarios here. 

You can download image and shapefiles of local scenarios here. 

You can view the html version of the report here.

4. Regional Plans & Data

This section contains existing plans for cities and the entire region and typically include zoning, existing land use, future land use and existing TIF districts, among others.  The base data are GIS shapefiles and include information such as roads, political boundaries, landcover data, and natural features. 

You can download regional and local plans here. 

You can download base data shapefiles here.

5. LEAM Results

This section contains the final LEAM results used to complete the final scenario report.  Files are organized by two different types of impacts: regional impacts that impact all or multiple counties in the region, and localized scenarios that impact only one county.  Within the regional or local scenario folder, the counties impacted are listed and are sorted by scenario.  Under each scenario are three folders: one with the images files from the report, shapefiles, and ASCII files. 

You can view regional scenario data here. 

You can view localized scenario data here.  

You can download all ASCII files here.

6. SimMaps

This section allows users to compare the impacts of development for each of the scenarios and for each type of map in an easy to use interface.  Google Maps are used in combination with SimMaps to allow the user to zoom and pan around the region to review LEAM results.  Results can also be displayed over aerial photos, a regular street map, or hybrid street/aerial maps.  Multiple layers can be turned on and off to compare the results and see the potential impacts of each scenario in a dynamic manner.

You can view the main simulation map page here.