History

Reality Check Plus is the latest iteration in a long line of growth visioning exercises that have been held around the nation during the past decade or so. In most cases, these visioning exercises are the product of ongoing discussions between elected officials from throughout a specific region, advocates for environmental protection and housing, civic organizations, the business community, and the building and real estate industry.

More specifically, Reality Check Plus is closely modeled after the successful visioning exercise held in February 2005 in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region which, in turn, followed similar efforts in Los Angeles, Sacramento, Utah, and elsewhere. Subsequent Reality Check events have been held in Texas and Fredericksburg, Virginia.

The evolution of growth visioning exercises is a reflection of rising concern in a number of states about the environmental, fiscal and social impacts of growth. In areas where these visioning exercises have taken place, various stakeholders that in the past have often fought over growth issues discover they share more in common than they originally thought. The Reality Check experience allows representatives of these various stakeholder groups to work side-by-side on the task of envisioning where future growth to their region should go.

To learn more about the Reality Check experience, download the 7-minute Reality Check Washington video.