Strategic urban planning is key to sustainable development in a growing community like Rochester. It helps city leaders to maximize public dollars, adapt to changing demographics, and address the demand for housing, transportation, and workforce. While DMC helps shape the future of downtown, city and county planners are looking ahead to prepare for citywide growth.
“Planning to Succeed” or P2S 2040 is the city’s comprehensive plan intended to provide community members, business leaders, city staff, and government officials with a roadmap as they prepare for current and future growth.
Both the City’s Comprehensive Plan and the DMC Development Plan, which was endorsed by the City of Rochester in March 2015, encouraged extensive community engagement throughout the planning processes. “Community-wide participation is incredibly important,” says Patrick Seeb, DMC economic development and placemaking director. “It leads to better ideas, community buy-in, and long-term success.”
Sandi Goslee is a principal planner with the Rochester-Olmsted Planning Department and agrees with Seeb’s assertion about the importance of public engagement. “The vision and goals for Planning to Succeed are based on core principles identified by the public and key stakeholders as important to them,” including integration of land use and transportation, expanding housing diversity, improving community connectivity, and more.
“Planning 2 Succeed addresses the desires and affordability needs of our changing population and seeks to make Rochester a more sustainable and resilient community,” Goslee says.
With coordinated strategies for activating, energizing, and connecting with the community, local leaders can more strategically engage individuals and organizations to help realize the vision for the future of the city.
For more information on the P2S project and process, contact Goslee or Jeff Ellerbusch at the Rochester Olmsted Planning Department by emailing [email protected].