The Dream It Up Planning Grants, offered by the City of Fort Collins, aim to support early-stage planning projects focused on improving urban habitats and connecting people to nature. This grant program aligns with the broader mission of fostering community engagement and environmental stewardship within the city. The grants are designed to provide initial support for crucial foundational activities that lead to more substantial project development.
Target beneficiaries for these planning grants are diverse and include Home Owner Associations, faith-based organizations, businesses, non-profits, affordable housing communities, mobile-home communities, schools, apartment complexes, and committed community members with creative project ideas. The impact goal is to facilitate projects that enhance the natural environment in urban settings and create opportunities for residents to engage with nature.
The primary focus areas for these grants are setting project priorities through community engagement and meetings, working with landscape designers to draft landscape plans, and navigating the City's minor amendment process. These priorities underscore the importance of thoughtful, well-researched, and community-supported initial stages of a project.
Expected outcomes include the development of clear project priorities, detailed landscape plans, and successful navigation of initial regulatory hurdles. While specific measurable results are not explicitly detailed beyond the $7,500 in support for early project efforts, the implicit measure of success lies in the readiness of these planning projects to move forward to implementation phases, ultimately contributing to improved urban habitats and increased public connection to nature.
