Planning
Department
Prepared by Rod Garrett, City Designer
The Planning Department works directly with all divisions of the Burning
Man organization; however, it works most closely with the Department
of Public Works, of which it is an organizational part. Planners must
address a multitude of interlinked responsibilities each year beyond the
more visible work of producing the overall site plan of Black Rock City.
The Planning Department develops extensive maps, plans, and operating
data required by the various branches of the Burning Man Project. Some
of this work can be quite creative. For instance, the theme for 2001,
the Seven Ages, introduced fascinating possibilities. In 2000, the Man
had been dwarfed by ever more ambitious artworks and structures on the
promenade. Working in collaboration with Larry Harvey, we addressed this
concern by designing the Temple of Enlightenment, almost 40 feet high,
which also served as a lofty pedestal for the Man, and as its pyre during
the event's finale.
Additionally, along with the usual annual refinements to the city plan,
we created an improved design for the gate and worked with staff to improve
traffic flow at the Greeter station. A successful new scheme for the portable
toilet layout improved access, and a new system for plotting the assignment
of theme camps was initiated. We refined and supervised the re-construction
of the 35,000-square-foot café structure, building on work done the previous
year. The Planning Department generated numerous AutoCad drawings specifically
addressing the requirements of the various departments previous to the
event, with continuing development work on-site as needed.
This review is a small example of planning activities, since the details
required to plan the annual emergence and disappearance of Black Rock
City are far too numerous to mention here. This work begins as soon as
the event ends, and the department welcomes the ever-changing challenges
as this adventure continues to define us. 