A weeklong series of events will give Richland County residents the opportunity to learn about a variety of initiatives, ranging from transportation improvements to programs aimed at enhancing neighborhood aesthetics.

Community Planning Week, hosted by the County’s Neighborhood Improvement Program (NIP), honors National Community Planning Month, which recognizes the role of planning in creating great communities.

To celebrate, the NIP team will host two public events centered on various community planning initiatives and services while highlighting planning efforts in the County. Both events will be in County Council Chambers, 2020 Hampton St., Columbia:

• Transportation and Community Planning Presentations: The NIP team and guest speakers will give information on the COMET bus system and other County community planning projects and initiatives 5:30 p.m.-7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 23.

• Community Planning and Development Expo: The NIP team will discuss the program and various divisions of the Community Planning and Development Department 5:30 p.m.-7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24. Community Planning and Development staff will also be available on the Administration Building’s third floor to give information on their divisions, services and locations.

Ahead of the week’s events, Paul Livingston, Richland County Council Chair, issued a proclamation at Council’s Oct. 15 meeting declaring October as Community Planning Month in the County.

National Community Planning Month “serves as an opportunity to recognize how planning shapes places and how planners work to create communities of lasting value,” said Tommy DeLage, assistant zoning administrator. “These events provide the means for citizens to learn more about planning and to engage in conversations with your local planners.”

As part of a hands-on approach to community building, the NIP team will volunteer with Habitat for Humanity on a service-based housing project in a neighboring community Friday, Oct. 25.

For more information on Community Planning Week, email nip@richlandcountysc.gov or visit richlandcountysc.gov.