The Knox County Planning Alliance (KCPA) has become very familiar with local land use and planning processes over the years, and formally organized as a volunteer‐based community group in 2018 with the purpose of bringing together citizens throughout the area to share land use and planning experiences. Since their inception, they have been a constant presence in local and state conversations advocating for intentional and anticipated growth with coordinated infrastructure through long-term planning, conservation concepts, and responsible land use and development practices.

On Friday, March 26, the group will officially launch an informative website that aims to assist citizens with local land use processes by simply sharing what they have learned and the resources that they use.

“We wanted to create a place of gathered knowledge and resources for citizens are unfamiliar with land use and planning practices,” said co‐founder and chair, Kevin Murphy. He went on to describe the website as “a starting point for anyone who is in need of information to help guide them through the land use and planning process.”

Kim Frazier, founding member and community outreach representative for the group, spoke about the emotional aspect of land use. “We spend a great deal of time going out into various communities throughout Knox County talking with citizens about their concerns and how to effectively communicate and navigate through the process. This website provides an added layer of support with readily available resources that oftentimes citizens are not aware of, or do not have the time or resources to pursue.

Land use is a very emotional topic and citizens can become easily overwhelmed and frustrated. We wanted a way to let citizens know that we understand and hear their concerns, and share what we have learned from our experiences.”

Lisa Starbuck, founding member and long‐time community advocate, designed the website to align with existing processes. “It’s important for citizens to understand what steps need to be taken, how to take them, and what policies, procedures, regulations, legislation, and ordinances are involved in the process,” she said. “It is our goal to create a space where all of that information can live and provide citizens with the most up-to-date resources. This is just a fraction of our planned content. There is much more to come.”

KCPA’s current board of advocates is comprised of citizen representatives from East Knox County, Keep Urban Wilderness Peaceful, League of Women Voters Knoxville / Knox County, Hardin Valley Planning Advocates, Scenic Knoxville, Northshore Corridor Association, Northeast Knox Preservation Association, and Community Forum. Citizens and community groups can register for news and updates on their website.

You can learn more about the Knox County Planning Alliance and ways to connect by visiting their new website at www.kcpa.us, and also on the Facebook page for Knox County Planning Alliance.