Manchester, VT – The Orton Family Foundation, in partnership with Placeways, LLC, is pleased to announce the release of CommunityViz® Version 3, powerful yet affordable planning software that employs the shared language of visualization to improve the way land use decisions are made. In support of the Foundation’s mission to transform the land use planning system as a pathway to vibrant and sustainable communities, CommunityViz® Version 3 offers planners and other civic innovators more capacity than ever to explore land use alternatives, analyze potential impacts and shape a common vision for their community’s future.
Since 2001, the Foundation has invested in the research, development and application of CommunityViz software in a wide range of planning situations. Aided in part by a recent price reduction, CommunityViz is being applied in communities throughout the country by an ever-growing collective of planners, educators and civic leaders. With the release of Version 3, the Foundation has taken feedback provided by this group and translated it into a host of new features designed to improve the tool and the decisions that result from its use. Highlights include:
"The release of this latest version of CommunityViz® reflects the Foundation’s commitment to help advance the state of the art and accelerate civic innovation," says William Shutkin, Foundation President and CEO. "This is a tool we believe truly makes a difference and we’re committed to supporting its ongoing evolution as we continue to learn from our projects and the work of others in the field."
To learn more and to download a detailed CommunityViz Version 3 fact sheet, visit www.communityviz.org.
CommunityViz Version 3 is available for purchase from Placeways, the exclusive authorized distributor of CommunityViz software, for a base price of $185. To purchase, visit www.placeways.com.
About the Orton Family Foundation
The Orton Family Foundation seeks to transform the land use planning system as a pathway to vibrant and sustainable communities. In partnership with non-profit organizations, local and regional planning agencies and others, the Foundation helps engage and empower people to make land use decisions inspired by their community’s heart and soul. The Foundation embraces the poet Gary Snyder's belief that "People who can agree they share a commitment to the landscape — even if they are otherwise locked in struggle with each other — have at least one deep thing to share."
To learn more about the Foundation, our programs and activities, visit www.orton.org.