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COMPREHENSIVE PLAN COMMUNITY INPUT
II. COMMUNITY INPUT
Table of Contents
“Never doubt that a small group of committed citizens can change the world;
indeed it is the only thing that ever has.”
Margaret Mead, American Cultural Anthropologist [1901-1978]
Author: Coming of Age in Samoa 1928
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II. COMMUNITY INPUT
A. Introduction
The astute leadership of the Mayor and the
steadfast efforts of the Steering Committee
have been essential in the preparation of this
comprehensive plan. The purpose of this
document is to guide city officials in their
choices about the future uses of community
lands, while planning for the growth and
development of the city. Over the past several
decades, the City of Richmond has experienced
economic highs and lows in its downtown area
known as Uptown, while experiencing growth
in industrial parks along Interstate-70 and an
influx of medical/office complexes.
The City of Richmond embarked on this
comprehensive planning process in an effort to develop a long-term vision for the city that will
help guide city officials in making decisions for the betterment of the community. Beginning in
January 2005 and continuing through January 2006, Kinzelman Kline Gossman with a team of
sub consultants, assisted city officials and staff, the appointed Steering Committee and the
Advisory Plan Commission in creating a comprehensive plan for the City of Richmond.
The City of Richmond’s residents were actively involved in the preparation of this plan by
participating in a series of U-Plan Community Meetings held in the months of April and May
2005. These public meetings were held at a central location in each quadrant of the city. A
Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) exercise gathered public opinion at
these meetings. In addition, a community survey was developed and distributed to the public via
local schools, newspapers, businesses, and other public locations. The survey requested input
from residents about pertinent community issues. These participants provided valuable
information and insight for the planning team to consider. The consulting team helped to
facilitate this phase of the planning process by assessing the data, providing insight and guidance
on the local conditions, plus by definitively establishing a list of prioritized goals and objectives
for the community to pursue.
The City of Richmond occupies 25.49 square miles of land with approximately 40,000 residents.
The two-mile fringe area, which is unincorporated land contiguous to the City of Richmond,
occupies 32.09 square miles.
Source: KKG
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Steering Committee Meeting July 19, 2005
Source: KKG
B. Steering Committee
A Steering Committee was formed to govern
and guide the development of the
comprehensive plan. The Mayor of Richmond
selected a diverse representation of community
residents for the Steering Committee. These
included residents and business owners, plus
members of government, civic, faith and
educational institutions of the city. The role of
the Steering Committee is to contribute a
broad and diverse perspective of the city’s
many neighborhood and business needs, while
assisting in the preparation of a balanced vision
for Richmond’s future. The Steering
Committee provided their “big picture” input
into the comprehensive plan development.
Steering Committee members participated in and helped to guide the U-Plan meetings, plus
coordinated the public outreach efforts conducted during the comprehensive planning process.
The Steering Committee was charged with:
· Creating a Mission Statement and a Vision Statement.
· Defining preliminary Goals and Objectives.
· Creating strategies to achieve a community sense of place and identity.
· Formulating ideas for future land use change.
· Identifying the key issues and needs of the community.
· Working with the participating stakeholders on identifying community issues.
· Refining a framework for improving community character and quality of life.
The committee planning work involved participation in group meetings, with analysis and
discussion of land use issues, future growth/changes, development controls, economic
development, transportation, infrastructure, park and open space, community facilities, housing
and other community needs. The committee planning work served to develop a framework for
the Comprehensive Plan and accompanying implementation strategies.
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C. Community Participation
The comprehensive planning process spanned a twelve-month period. It included the input of
community-based citizens and a wide variety of community leaders. A community input program
was structured and conducted through a formal process. Citizens and businesses were
encouraged to participate in the visioning and planning process. The Steering Committee
worked with the City of Richmond’s consultant team to develop a plan to include land use, to
identify important issues in the neighborhoods and community, plus to establish goals and
objectives for the City of Richmond’s Comprehensive Plan.
The “existing conditions” information, along with educational materials about basic planning
principles was given to the Steering Committee. As a means of acquiring public opinion,
participants were to comment on Richmond’s issues, strengths, and weaknesses, plus the goals
and objectives for a comprehensive plan. With the leadership of the “citizen planners” and
Steering Committee, consensus-building exercises included the Strengths, Weaknesses,
Opportunities and Threats (SWOT), surveys, focus groups, stakeholder interviews, and in-depth
group discussions. The community input activities led to the development of draft mission and
vision statements, draft goals, objectives and recommendations, the development of preliminary
implementation strategies, and recommendations to bring about positive change in the city,
while preserving existing assets. The meeting comments were summarized and distributed to the
Steering Committee and consulting team. Many of these comments are reflected in the goals and
objectives contained within the various elements of this plan.
'The Community Input Process: Community members working together
As a community-based planning process, “visioning” typically follows a series of distinct steps.
These often include:
· Profiling the existing community.
· Exploring the impact of emerging trends and issues.
· Creating a vision for the future.
· Developing a strategic action plan to achieve that vision.
Each step in the visioning process involves distinct activities and results. The entire process may
be scaled up or down, depending on a community's overall goals, needs, and resources. Typically,
local governments, civic organizations, community groups, public/private partnerships, or a
combination of these groups sponsor this process. The process of visioning is often as important
as its products. The best visioning efforts will engage entire communities in working together to
create a positive vision for their future.
Community input and strategizing offers many potential benefits for a community, such as:
· Bringing community members together in a proactive way.
· Envisioning new opportunities and possibilities for the future.
· Developing goals, strategies and benchmarks for change.
· Enriching citizen involvement in local government.
· Promoting visionary community leadership.
· Providing a broader foundation for planning and decision-making.
· Fostering new public/private partnerships for action.
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D. Educating Citizen Planners
The Steering Committee received educational materials in order to educate them about basic
planning principles and consensus building, while preparing them for what to expect when
participating on a committee. The consulting team advised to the Steering Committee members
and group participants about effective methods of participation as citizen planners. At the
beginning of several initial meetings, the Steering Committee received an overview of general
planning objectives, planning principles, land use, zoning, and the comprehensive planning
process. General land use planning principles were developed and used for the project. These
principles and other educational materials were presented to the committee members and
distributed to members before meetings.
E. Citizen Survey
Richmond citizens were invited to participate in a series of workshops during the months of
April and May 2005. The objective of these workshops was to understand the public’s point of
view about the city and its future. In addition to the workshops, a survey was developed and
made available to the community through the Palladium newspaper, the city’s web site, the U-
Plan meetings, and other government agencies. The survey solicited input on the important
issues and visions for Richmond. Two hundred and twenty- four surveys were returned and
tabulated. The survey asked participants to answer three questions, and to list what they felt the
community should consider the most important goals. The results of this survey are listed below.
The priorities that ranked most important were:
· Thriving Economy
· Vibrant Community
· Natural Resources
· Transportation/Infrastructure
· Entertainment/Recreation
· Other
The participants selected a thriving economy as the highest priority goal for the City of
Richmond. It is important for residents to have personal success, employment opportunities, and
ability to retain and expand their businesses, and opportunities for entertainment. Having a
vibrant community ranked second. Having clean, safe, healthy neighborhoods with a rich sense
of community was selected as very important to the overall aesthetic and social healthiness of
Richmond.
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The responses to the questions to the survey are summarized below:
1. When you think of Richmond, what are the top three things that come to mind?
Respondents stated that the aspects of the City of Richmond that most often come to
mind are its sense of family and community,” a good place to raise a family”, and its sense
of community spirit. Respondents felt restaurants, shopping, the arts, cultural heritage,
and green spaces to be equally important. Respondents felt that green spaces and natural
resources within the community were very desirable. Participants stated that they felt
“proud” and “valued” these community resources, including the Gorge, the Hayes
Arboretum, and the local parks. Respondents indicated that these areas must be
preserved. Their references about local shopping and retail included dissatisfaction with
the many “big box” shopping centers in the area and that Richmond’s west side has
insufficient opportunities to shop. Respondents enjoy the arts and cultural heritage of
the city. Noted were the museums, the cultural heritage, the rich architecture, the jazz
heritage, and the symphony.
Top 3 Things About Richmond
0
20
40
60
80
100
120 Education
Medical
Arts/Culture/Heritage
RV
Restaurants/Shopping
Nature/Greenspace
Economy
Jobs
Misc
Physical Decline
Family/Place
Attitude
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2. What are the top three items that you would like to change about the community?
Respondents have many ideas about what needs to change in Richmond. In summary,
they desire a physically attractive city with a strong sense of identity and community
events celebrating the city’s cultural heritage. Participants indicate that they desire
quality residential and commercial areas with unified streetscape elements, sidewalks,
and gateways. Preference was also given to better regulatory controls such as design
guidelines and zoning laws, and an interest in thriving commercial areas on the east and
west sides. Opportunities for employment ranked very high. Respondents want jobs
with opportunities for advancements. Respondents want Richmond residents to have
reasons to feel better about their community. This will help to improve the residents’
attitudes by inspiring a sense of community-esteem.
Top 3 Things to Change
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Jobs
Government
Taxes
Economic Development
Retail/Entertainment
Physical Appearance
Greenspace
Education
Attitude/Pride/Self Esteem
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3. What are three things you would like Richmond to have in the future?
Respondents want more choices in retail and entertainment opportunities including
restaurants, shops, and entertainment destinations. Participants wish for more and
better jobs, plus a stronger economy. Respondents want more industry, growth,
businesses, better jobs, and middle management positions.
3 Things for the Future
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Jobs
Economic Development
Physical Appearance
Greenspace/Paths
Culture Heritage/Festivals
Youth/Family Programs &
Facilities
Retail Business/Entertainment
Education
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F. U-Plan Meetings
A major effort in the comprehensive
planning process was identifying the
relevant issues for each neighborhood.
The City of Richmond held a series of
public meetings called U-Plan sessions
in April and May 2005. The meetings
took place throughout the city, so that
everyone could attend and share their
ideas about how Richmond should grow
during the next several years.
The locations for the U-Plan sessions
include:
U-Plan Northeast - April 26, 7-9 p. m. -
Indiana University East
U-Plan Northwest - April 27, 7-9 p. m. -
Holy Family Catholic Church
U-Plan Richmond - April 30, 10 a. m. -
Noon - Uptown Innovation Center
U-Plan Southwest - May 3, 7-9 p. m. -
Earlham College
U-Plan Southeast - May 4, 7-9 p. m. -
Boys and Girls Clubs of Wayne County
The public participated in a SWOT analysis. A
SWOT analysis is an information gathering
exercise that planners and other organizations
use to solicit public opinion on various issues
of community growth and quality of life.
Although not a scientific analysis, a SWOT
exercise provides planners with insight into
the community through residents’ responses.
Individuals are asked to identify what they feel
to be strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities
for their neighborhoods. Subsequently, they
explain what they feel is a current threat to
their neighborhood, or that is a potential threat
if certain changes happen. Collectively, these neighborhood responses help to identify some
common concerns in the community. Their opinions are felt to reflect those of the general
community. The planning team developed themes based on the reoccurring comments from these
participants. These themes are important for the development of focus areas in the
comprehensive plan. The workshops produce information, which is tabulated and the results
summarized. [See below] These comments, along with survey results, stakeholder interviews,
and focus group meetings become the foundation for the comprehensive plan.
Source: KKG
Source: KKG
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Below is a summary of common themes from the
five U-Plan input sessions:
· Economic Development.
· Continued preservation and
betterment of Richmond’s green spaces
and natural resources.
· Developing more programs and
promoting neighborhood and
community programs for youths and
adults.
· Establishing higher aesthetic standards
for the community as a whole.
· Linking the established higher
education institutions into the
community.
· Arts and culture.
· Developing a more stable economic climate, which will attract more middle
management jobs.
· More stores, restaurants, and tourism.
· Preserving the rich architectural buildings, rich culture of the area.
SWOT
Each neighborhood began to examine the community and neighborhood issues that were
relevant to them because of the SWOT exercises. The participants’ concerns are considered
representative of opinions held by Richmond’s general population. These concerns are important
contributions that need to be addressed by either the comprehensive plan or a neighborhood
plan. The items listed from the SWOT analysis are not necessarily the same issues discussed in
later Steering Committee meetings. Below is a summary of the SWOT analysis:
Source: KKG
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Top Strengths
Community’s most significant strengths:
· Green Space and Park system including the Cardinal Greenway, the Gorge,
the Middlefork Reservoir
· Tree lined streets
· A Strong Sense of Community
· Neighborhoods
· The Family Friendly Atmosphere
· Diversity of the Neighborhoods
· Institutions of Higher Education and Learning
· Arts and Culture
· Good Community Services
· Infrastructure
Top Strengths
39 36
32 28
23
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Greenspace/Natural
Resources
Community/
Neighborhood
Higher Education Arts & Culture Services/
Infrastructure
Nu
m
b
e
r
O
f
V
o
t
e
s
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Second Tier Strengths
The second tier strengths indicate the other issues that were listed by the participants:
· Economic Development
· Healthcare and Hospitals in Richmond
· The unique architecture
· The local community groups
· Richmond’s central location
· The low cost of living and housing
· Public services and infrastructure are beautiful and in excellent repair
· Green space is abundant and visible
· Commercial Areas and Districts are established.
· Central location and access off I-70
· Uniqueness of Business Districts and Residential Neighborhoods
2nd Tier Strengths
18
15 15 14 13 11
0
5
10
15
20
25
Economic
Development
Hospital/
Healthcare
Architecture Local Groups Location Cost of
Living/Housing
Nu
m
b
e
r
O
f
V
o
t
e
s
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Top Weaknesses
The most commonly listed weaknesses were identified as:
· Richmond’s lack of employment and strong labor force
· A poor attitude among residents regarding pride about the City and
reluctance to change
· Richmond’s Youth:
· Teen Pregnancy Rate
· Need more programs for teens/kids
· Young people are leaving
· Lack of Parenting and Parenting skills
· Parenting Issues
· Lack of Youth Activities
· Disrespect by Youth
· Lack of communication between different ages/groups
· Juvenile Crime
· Lack of Juvenile Justice/Probation/ Punishments
· Young people do not stay or return
· Richmond’s poor image and identity
· The lack of higher education opportunities for local residents
Top Weaknesses
53 50
28 23 21
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Employment/
Labor
Attitude Youth Image/Identity Education
Nu
m
b
e
r
O
f
V
o
t
e
s
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Second Tier Weaknesses
The second tier weaknesses indicate the other issues that were listed by the participants:
· Richmond’s transportation system
· Poor roadways
· The safety and health issues of the community
· Housing Variety and a high percentage of rental housing
· Social issues
· The economy
· Lack of Government leadership
2nd Tier Weaknesses
19 18 18 16 15 14
0
5
10
15
20
25
Transportation Safety/Health Housing/
Homeownership
Social Issues Economy/ Cost of
Living Issues
Government
Nu
m
b
e
r
O
f
V
o
t
e
s
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Top Opportunities
Richmond has much community enrichment to consider for the future. The participants
expressed these as the most desirable opportunities for the community to pursue:
· Green Spaces and Natural Resources
· Economic Development
· Commercial Development
· Job Development
· Tourism Opportunities
· Bed and breakfast development
· Heritage Tourism
· Shopping districts in downtown and neighborhood business districts
· Restaurants and other business that can benefit from a river location
· Trail services including equipment sales, rentals, and concessions
· Expand Business Districts
· Recruit specific mix of businesses for neighborhood business districts
· Commercial area boundaries could be redefined
· Housing to attract first-time homebuyers
· Develop a balanced blend of residential and commercial uses
· Zoning regulations need to support the plan, vision and proposed
development
Top Opportunities
48
35 33 33
20
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Greenspace/Outdoor Community
Development/
Attractions/ Tourism
Economic
Development
Commercial
Opportunities
Economics/ Job
Development
Community
Development/
Planning
Nu
m
b
e
r
O
f
V
o
t
e
s
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Second Tier Opportunities
The second tier opportunities indicate the other issues that were listed by the participants.
· Transportation
· Airport
· Multi modal
· Alternative Methods
· Access to Transportation
· Youth Programs
· Adaptive re-use of Architecture
· Historic Preservation
· Fix-up Uptown Houses
2nd Tier Opportunities
17
15
12
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
Transportation Youth Programs Adaptive Re-use of
Architecture & Sites
Nu
m
b
e
r
O
f
V
o
t
e
s
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Top Threats
Richmond faces several critical threats or issues that must be overcome to allow the strengths
and opportunities to develop. The most commonly listed threats were identified as:
· Poor attitude of residents
· Sense of apathy among the community as a whole
· The economic decline of the city
· Community youth not tracking to higher education opportunities
· Poor social and cultural communication between the classes
· Overall health of the community in terms of physical appearance and safety
Top Threats
52 46
18 16 14
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Attitude Economics Education Social/ Cultural/
Communication
Health/Safety
Nu
m
b
e
r
O
f
V
o
t
e
s
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Second Tier Threats
The second tier threats indicate the other issues that were listed by the participants although
less frequently:
· Employment
· Politics
· Greenspace
· Behavior
· Housing
2nd Tier Threats
13
11
8 7
5
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
Employment Politics Greenspace Behavior Housing
Nu
m
b
e
r
O
f
V
o
t
e
s
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G. SWOT Conclusions
Richmond’s strengths include its tree-lined
streets, green spaces, and natural resources,
including the Cardinal Greenway, the Gorge,
and Middlefork Reservoir. Richmond has a
strong sense of community, it reflects family
values, and it has a family friendly
environment. Richmond’s unique and rich
heritage, arts and cultural facilities,
educational institutions, and sterling
community services are Richmond‘s
strengths to build upon. These strengths are
valuable resources that can offer Richmond
residents many opportunities for improving
the quality of their lives.
Opportunities are elements in a community that have valuable potential for contributing to the
welfare of the community. Richmond’s opportunities include investment opportunities,
economic partnering, tourism, and the development of retail and entertainment destinations.
Richmond must preserve and build upon the green spaces and park systems. The city is in a
position to redesign its community planning and development processes, with guidelines for
creating a sustainable economic system that has a skilled labor force and employment
opportunities.
Weaknesses are elements of a community that either currently detract or have the potential for
detracting from the welfare of the community. Richmond’s weaknesses of greatest concern
include insufficient upper level employment, poor community attitude of its residents, poor city
image and identity, plus its lack of educational opportunities for its citizens.
Threats or barriers to success facing Richmond in the future are not difficult to overcome. The
list assembled from the U-Plan sessions includes several key concerns; a more positive and open
attitude of the citizens regarding their city, creatively addressing the declining economy,
improving the level of education among the residents, and addressing the perception of safety in
Richmond.
H. Stakeholder Interviews
The city invited stakeholders to provide the planning team with information and insight about
the issues facing Richmond in the future. The Richmond Innovation Center was the site of
several sessions. With Craig Gossman, as the mediator, the stakeholders met at different times
on March 14, 15, and on April 27, 2005. Each focus group varied in number. The discussion was
based on eight questions about downtown Richmond, and six questions about the city itself.
Stakeholders were business and community leaders of profit and non-profit organizations in the
City of Richmond. The questions included:
Source: KKG
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Center City/Downtown
1. What are positive attributes of Downtown Richmond?
2. What are negative attributes of Downtown Richmond?
3. What businesses/shops/etc. do you think should be located in Downtown Richmond?
Why?
4. What projects are you working on in your area of expertise that could influence or
impact the future of Richmond?
5. What would you like to see in Downtown Richmond in terms of redevelopment?
6. What are the qualities of Richmond that should be kept?
7. What quality of life attributes would attract people and families to live in Richmond?
8. Were you a resident/business during the last revitalization of Downtown Richmond in
1998/1999? If so, has the downtown quality of life been enhanced?
City of Richmond – Overall
1. What are positive attributes of Richmond?
2. What are negative attributes of Richmond?
3. How do you see Richmond in ten years?
4. What are the qualities of Richmond that should be kept? Not kept?
5. What quality of life attributes would attract people and families to live in Richmond?
6. Comparing Richmond to other places you have been that you liked, what things about
the places you liked could be applied to Richmond?
Responses received from each meeting are:
March 14 and 15, 2005
· Capitalize on Bicentennial Events
· Housing Program Issues – Increase 1st time home owners
· Promote Tourism and recreation
· Promote skilled trades with Richmond High School
· Welcome new businesses
· Tax abatements
· Parking and load permits
· Focus on eye sores: old or empty store fronts and businesses
· Location of jail creates challenge
· Support from educational systems to improve workforce
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· Living Units above storefronts
· Promote and develop Gorge and greenways
· Promote economic stability and sustainability of downtown and adjacent areas
· Reduce restaurant turnover downtown
· The need for additional meeting/conference space downtown
April 27, 2005
· In need of more Youth focused activities
· Opportunity for 2nd floor upper story development
· Lack of services to meet downtown housing needs
· Introduction of wireless to downtown/Wayne County
· Ease parking issue downtown
· Create more diverse housing market
· Creation of higher paying jobs – technology based jobs
· Better job at marketing Richmond and Downtown
· Capitalize on Industry and Technology park
I. Community Input Summary
The community input process identified the most pressing and important city issues. The U-Plan
community meetings, survey responses, and stakeholder interviews provided the Steering
Committee with information about the key issues and themes of the community. Subsequently,
the planning team was able to develop a list of issues and themes that are important to the
community. The planning team frequently referred to this information during the development of
the comprehensive plan.
Issues
The key issues as identified by the community input are listed in order of importance:
· Economic Development
· Job Creation
· Physical Appearance of the Community
· Community Services
· Community Resources
· Sense of City Identity and Pride
Themes
The key issues were translated into themes that convey aspirations for Richmond.
The themes identified for the community are:
· Thriving Economy
· Successful Jobs
· Quality of Life
· Vibrant City Identity and Theme
· Sustainable Neighborhoods and Community Services
· Development Controls and Protection
· Education
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Draft Goals
In response to the identified themes, draft goals were developed. The draft goals are broad-based
statements that represent the purpose or end of the comprehensive planning process and thus
provide direction for the development of Richmond’s Comprehensive Plan. The draft goals
identified for the community are as follows:
· Increase economic redevelopment/jobs
· Develop long-range plans for economic redevelopment of neighborhood business
districts and downtown
· Protect and expand economic development and stability
· Plan long term city growth and redevelopment in a comprehensive manner
· Clarify and improve City identity and physical appearance
· Keep quality of community services high
· Keep community safe
· Encourage development of cultural heritage and arts/culture
· Protect and expand community identity
· Improve quality of life
· Pursue funding and implementation
· Develop and implement healthy and sustainable economic development initiatives
throughout City
· Balance land uses to protect existing development to add value and quality
· Revitalize and strengthen neighborhood business centers
· Protect residential neighborhoods from deterioration and blight
· Protect and expand parks and green spaces
· Encourage affordable and balanced housing
· Encourage a variety of land uses to meet the needs of a diverse community
· Develop and coordinate community service programs to serve and encourage civic
engagement, residential involvement, participation and betterment
· Ensure the health and well-being of the community and encourage community
participation, ownership and involvement, ensuring the changing needs of the city's
residents are reflected in its social programs and facilities