Criterion Planners
| Industry | Urban and Regional Planning |
|---|---|
| Founded | Eugene, Oregon (1979) |
| Headquarters | Portland, Oregon, United States (1988) |
Key people | Eliot Allen, Principal |
Criterion Planners is an urban and regional planning firm that focuses on the nexus of community and sustainability using information technology to inform and creatively empower participants in community planning processes. The firm is a nationally recognized leader in land-use and transportation planning techniques and tools that help stakeholders create places that are measurably more livable and environmentally responsible.
History and services
Criterion was founded in Eugene, Oregon in 1979 and relocated its operations to Portland, Oregon in 1988. The firm’s early work focused on renewable energy development as an economic and environmental asset for communities and regions. That led to a wider scope of services that included energy-efficient land-use planning, building and transportation energy analysis, and ultimately the firm’s current portfolio of sustainable community modeling and place-making services.
This place-making ranges from multi-jurisdiction regions to block-level streetscapes, with an approach that integrates land-use and transportation planning, urban design, social equity, and environmental stewardship. Criterion is known in particular for its INDEX planning scenario software (INDEX PlanBuilder Planning Support Software), which is a suite of interactive GIS tools that support real-time scenario design and evaluation by citizens and planners . The firm provides INDEX modeling of local and regional plans and development projects for agencies and developers throughout the U.S., Canada, and overseas including China .
Criterion has also served the U.S. Green Building Council as international technical consultant of the LEED for Neighborhood Development program since 2007, including preparation of ND rating system standards and procedures, and performance of 170 neighborhood certification reviews worldwide .
The firm is an active member of the American Planning Association, the Congress for the New Urbanism, the U.S. Green Building Council, and the National Association of Environmental Professionals.
Awards and honors
2011 — Renewable Natural Resources Foundation Outstanding Achievement Award for the LEED for Neighborhood Development Rating System.
2009 — Congress for the New Urbanism Charter Award for The SmartCode.
2009 — California Dept. of Conservation Green Leadership Award for Lake County solar and geothermal systems innovation.
2007 — Sacramento Area Council of Governments Project of the Year for the Sacramento Pedestrian Master Plan.
2006 — American Planning Association Outstanding Plan of the Year for the N.E. Illinois 2040 Regional Framework Plan.
2006 — American Planning Association Best Use of Technology for Disaster Recovery Planning for the Mississippi Governor's Gulf Coast Renewal Forum.
2004 — Environmental Systems Research Institute Special Achievement for the N.E. Illinois Planning Commission's regional growth planning process with INDEX support.
2003 — Sacramento Chapter of the American Planning Association Best of the Region for the Cordova Community Plan.
2003 — U.S. EPA Climate Protection Award for the Chula Vista, California Global Warming Reduction Plan.
2000 — British Columbia Energy-Aware Award for the Northeast Coquitlam Sustainable Land-Use Plan.
1999 — National Council for Environmental Sustainability Award of Achievement for the Basin 2000 Watershed Restoration Project, Lake County, Calif.
1999 — California Local Government Commission Ahwahnee Award for INDEX Community Sustainability Indicators.
1998 — California Governor's Environmental & Economic Award for the Lake County Wastewater Recycling System.
1997 — Geothermal Resources Council Special Achievement for the Lake County, Calif. Wastewater Recycling System.
1995 — Association of Metropolitan Wastewater Agencies Technology Award for the Seattle Metro/Boeing Wastewater Reuse Project.
1995 — American Society of Landscape Architects Honors for the PLACES Sustainable Community Planning Methodology.
1994 — California Local Government Commission Ahwahnee Award for the PLACES Sustainable Community Planning Methodology.
1990 — International District Energy Association Leadership Award for the West Coast Strategic Development Plan.
1986 — Geothermal Resources Council Technical Excellence for the Western U.S. Geothermal Direct-Use Pricing Study.
1983 — American Planning Association Meritorious Planning Project for the Harney County, Oregon Renewable Energy Plan.