<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:10.0pt;
margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.MsoNoSpacing, li.MsoNoSpacing, div.MsoNoSpacing
{mso-style-priority:1;
margin:0in;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
span.EmailStyle19
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
mso-ligatures:none;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1027" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style="word-wrap:break-word">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div align="center">
<table class="MsoNormalTable" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="714" style="border-collapse:collapse">
<tbody>
<tr style="height:94.5pt">
<td width="240" valign="top" style="width:2.5in;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:94.5pt">
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f">
<v:stroke joinstyle="miter" />
<v:formulas>
<v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0" />
<v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0" />
<v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1" />
<v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2" />
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth" />
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight" />
<v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1" />
<v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2" />
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth" />
<v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0" />
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight" />
<v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0" />
</v:formulas>
<v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" />
<o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t" />
</v:shapetype><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_1" o:spid="_x0000_s1026" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="City of Durham logo and Durham County logo" style='position:absolute;margin-left:-5.25pt;margin-top:0;width:171.6pt;height:87.6pt;z-index:251658240;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square;mso-width-percent:0;mso-height-percent:0;mso-wrap-distance-left:9pt;mso-wrap-distance-top:0;mso-wrap-distance-right:9pt;mso-wrap-distance-bottom:0;mso-position-horizontal:absolute;mso-position-horizontal-relative:text;mso-position-vertical:absolute;mso-position-vertical-relative:text;mso-width-percent:0;mso-height-percent:0;mso-width-relative:margin;mso-height-relative:margin'>
<v:imagedata src="cid:image001.png@01DA17AE.243B8600" o:title="City of Durham logo and Durham County logo" cropbottom="20506f" />
<w:wrap type="square"/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><![if !vml]><img width="229" height="117" style="width:2.3854in;height:1.2187in" src="cid:image003.png@01DA17AF.70F83000" align="left" hspace="12" alt="City of Durham logo and Durham County logo" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_1"><![endif]><span style="font-size:1.0pt;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td width="474" valign="top" style="width:355.5pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:94.5pt">
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="right" style="text-align:right"><b><span style="color:#00467E;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">News Media Contacts<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="right" style="text-align:right"><span style="color:#00467E;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">Amy Blalock, Assistant Communications Director, City of Durham<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="right" style="text-align:right"><span style="mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"><a href="mailto:CommsMedia@DurhamNC.gov">CommsMedia@DurhamNC.gov</a><u><span style="color:blue"><o:p></o:p></span></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="right" style="text-align:right"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#00467E;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="right" style="text-align:right"><span style="color:#00467E;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">Dawn Dudley, Sr. Public Information Specialist, Durham County<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="right" style="text-align:right"><span style="mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"><a href="mailto:PublicInformationOffice@dconc.gov">PublicInformationOffice@dconc.gov</a>
</span><u><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:blue;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height:54.2pt">
<td width="714" colspan="2" valign="top" style="width:535.5pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:54.2pt">
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:50.0pt;color:#00538E;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">News Release</span><span style="color:#D3372A;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="color:#D3372A;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">For Immediate Release: November 15, 2023<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">New Durham Planning Dashboard Provides One-Stop Shop for Development Trends</span></b><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">Trend Data, Demographic Information, and Reviewer Resources Now Available In One Website<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">DURHAM, N.C. – Those interested in development data and trends in Durham now have a new online resource at their fingertips.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">The new
</span><span style="mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"><a href="https://planning-durhamnc.hub.arcgis.com/">Durham Planning Dashboard</a></span><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"> provides data involving development in Durham. With data
updated quarterly, this interactive website is designed to let users easily explore overall trend data, population and demographic information, and an interactive map that provides tools to check the status of development cases, review past approvals, and
review data and other information for parcels of land.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">According to City-County Planning Director Sara Young, the new dashboard was created to be responsive to the information needs of Durham residents in a rapidly growing community.
“This dashboard is a collaborative effort designed to wholistically provide data to our community, planning commissioners, elected leaders, and the news media,” Young said. “We also designed the dashboard to share what we do, why we do it, and the potential
impact of development projects in our community.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">In addition to providing development trends and an interactive mapping tool, the dashboard also gives details on the different departmental work groups which covers everything
from long-range planning to the review of current development proposals, floodplains, building permits, development that is voted on by the Board of County Commissioners and/or City Council, community engagement efforts, racial equity work, and a wide range
of other planning functions. For each set of activities and information found on the dashboard, the department’s staff describe what it is, what it means, and why it’s important.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">According to Young, dashboard users can also
</span><span style="mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"><a href="https://www.durhamnc.gov/411/Planning-Public-Notification-Service">subscribe</a></span><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"> to the
</span><span style="mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"><a href="https://www.durhamnc.gov/list.aspx?PRVMSG=340">department’s e-newsletter</a></span><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"> to get engaged and stay informed about development
happening in Durham. “We send out a weekly newsletter with all upcoming Planning public hearings and other public meetings to anyone who subscribes,” Young said. “We want our community to be engaged and informed about the growth and development of their community,
and our weekly newsletter is a great way to receive the latest news.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">Residents are also encouraged to tune into the monthly
</span><span style="mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"><a href="https://www.durhamnc.gov/1367/Planning-Commission">Durham Planning Commission</a></span><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"> meetings, which are held the second Tuesday of
each month at 5:30 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers, located at 101 City Hall Plaza. These meetings are also televised live on
</span><span style="mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"><a href="https://www.durhamnc.gov/1104/Durham-Television-Network">Durham Television Network</a></span><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"> and livestreamed to the City’s
</span><span style="mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/cityofdurhamnc">YouTube</a></span><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">,
</span><span style="mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/CityofDurhamNC">Facebook</a></span><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">, and
</span><span style="mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"><a href="https://twitter.com/CityofDurhamNC">X</a></span><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"> (formerly known as Twitter) channels.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">Residents can also listen to a number of podcasts on the City’s
</span><span style="mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"><a href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/joint-city-county-planning-committee">Spreaker</a></span><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"> channel to stay informed on the actions of the
many boards and committees that provide input on planning and development, such as the Board of Adjustment, the Historic Preservation Commission, and the Joint City-County Planning Committee.</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">###</span><span style="mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>