NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING INITIATIVE TO CULTIVATE LONG-TERM VISION
Published on July 14, 2022
HARTFORD, CONN (July 14, 2022) – Today, Mayor Luke Bronin and the City of Hartford’s Planning and Zoning Division announce the launch of the City’s multi-year Neighborhood Planning Initiative. Guided by the Hartford City Plan 2035, the neighborhood planning process will engage residents and community stakeholders in the development of Neighborhood Plans over the course of the next several years. In the project’s first year, action-oriented Neighborhood Plans will be published for three neighborhoods: Frog Hollow, Northeast, and Upper Albany.
The City of Hartford will work closely with residents, neighborhood groups, and community stakeholders to create plans that reflect the unique needs and characteristics of the city’s historic neighborhoods. The Neighborhood Planning Process will aim to:
- Identify - opportunities to support growth and development in the most efficient and effective manner
- Preserve - and celebrate neighborhood features that may have important environmental, social, or cultural significance
- Acknowledge - not only physical and economic factors, but social needs within the neighborhood
- Adapt - recognize that these ideals may evolve as the community process progresses, and
- Engage - actively include community residents and stakeholders in the community process, promoting community engagement, capacity building, and empowerment
“Two years ago, we adopted a new city plan – setting our city-wide aspirations for where we want to be when Hartford reaches its 400th anniversary in 2035,” said Mayor Bronin. “With this Neighborhood Planning initiative, we’re working with our community to identify the specific opportunities and goals that are unique to each neighborhood. Just as with the city-wide planning effort, this process will be driven by our residents and stakeholders, working hand-in-hand with our planning team. Hartford has such beautifully varied and distinct neighborhoods, and we want to build on their specific strengths, while always holding fast to the idea that a win for any part of Hartford is a win for all of Hartford.”
The process aims to help identify community goals and priorities, and to coordinate them citywide, so that neighborhood aspirations can be realized and all development can equitably and effectively improve quality-of-life throughout Hartford neighborhoods. Each of the neighborhood plans in progress will address transformative development projects highlighted in the City’s Plan of Conservation and Development, in addition to a number of transportation projects underway that will forge connections across neighborhoods.
The neighborhood planning process is being led by Development Services’ Planning Division and its consultant teams: FHI Studio and Kounkuey Design Initiative (KDI). Neighborhood Planning Committees from each neighborhood will develop their respective plan’s vision and strategy, with support from Local Initiatives Support Corporation Connecticut and local Community Development Corporations. Neighborhood Revitalization Zones will also be able to request strategic planning and implementation services from FHI Studio and KDI.
“Working alongside neighborhood residents and stakeholders, we look forward to developing neighborhood plans that reflect the strength and diversity of Hartford’s neighborhoods and establish visions and goals that create more inclusive, equitable, and vibrant neighborhoods,” said representatives from FHI Studio and KDI.
Residents and stakeholders can get involved in the planning process and join in on the conversation through workshops and neighborhood discussions. For more information on how to get involved, visit https://neighborhoodplanning.hartford.gov.