Assignment 02

Conservation Analysis

Map community assets and challenges, explain how they relate to proposals, and identify planning tools that fit the findings.

Typical working time: 4–6 hours after instructor data are provided

Why learn this method?

A conservation map is useful when it connects places and patterns to community proposals. It can help explain which assets matter, where challenges arise, and why a planning instrument is a good fit, without treating a map alone as a final site determination.

What you will learn

  • Use a map to explain a community planning question and the assets and challenges relevant to proposals.
  • Describe relationships shown on the map and connect findings to the proposals.
  • Interpret the supplied slope classes as provided: 15 to below 20 percent, 20 to below 25 percent, and 25 percent or above.
  • Compare alternatives and explain why a selected zoning, subdivision, or other planning instrument fits the issue.
  • Communicate the recommendation and code implications, with basic source, date, and limitation notes on the map.

Key terms in plain language

Map layer
One set of information, such as wetlands or slope, shown on a map.
Community asset
A place, resource, or feature the community values and wants to sustain or build on.
Planning instrument
A tool such as zoning or subdivision provisions that can help carry out a community proposal.
Map relationship
A visible pattern or connection among mapped assets, challenges, and proposal areas.

Work through these steps

  1. Frame the community question

    Identify the community assets and challenges that matter to current proposals, and state what the map should help the community decide.

    Finish this step with: A clear question and mapped community context.

  2. Show relevant map relationships

    Use the supplied information to show how assets, challenges, and proposal areas relate. The supplied slope information is already classified; interpret it as provided rather than creating new classes.

    Finish this step with: A legible map or map set with findings tied to places.

  3. Connect findings to planning tools

    Compare plausible alternatives and explain why the best-fitting community planning instruments, such as zoning, subdivision provisions, or another planning tool, fit the issue and proposal.

    Finish this step with: A recommendation grounded in mapped findings and an explanation of code implications.

  4. Prepare the submission

    Provide a map PDF or map set and a concise explanation of the question, findings, alternatives, recommendation, and code implications. Put basic source, date, and limitation notes on the map; include an editable file when useful.

    Finish this step with: The map deliverable and concise explanation.

What to submit

Prepare the items below, then submit the finished assignment in Canvas.

  • Map PDF or map set
  • Concise explanation of the question, findings, alternatives, recommendation, and code implications
  • Editable map or project file when useful

Minimum evidence to include

  • Community assets and challenges relevant to proposals
  • Mapped relationships and findings
  • Alternatives and a justified planning-tool recommendation
  • Code implications

Read before you begin

Course examples and working materials

Connect a community asset to a proposal

Instructor-created illustration using hypothetical conditions; it does not describe a course community.

What the example records

  • A map shows a valued stream corridor near a proposed recreation connection.
  • The supplied slope map shows steeper ground along part of the proposed route.
  • An existing community plan identifies the connection as a proposal.

What it suggests: Compare an alternate route and explain whether zoning, subdivision provisions, or another planning tool best supports the proposal while responding to the mapped challenge.

What it cannot establish: The map supports a planning discussion; it does not establish site conditions, property rights, or the final design.

The example above was created for this course. The links are instructor-provided materials or data inputs. No past-student work is published here.

Open the workbench

Map community assets and challenges, examine their relationship to proposals, and connect findings to fitting planning tools.

Open Conservation Analysis WorkbenchFull assignment