GMC selected to develop City of Gadsden’s first comprehensive plan in nearly 50 years
February 22, 2023 · Projects
The City of Gadsden has retained Goodwyn Mills Cawood (GMC) to develop the city’s first comprehensive plan in nearly 50 years.
Developed by GMC’s planning experts, the comprehensive plan will be an action-oriented, strategic guide for the City of Gadsden that is shaped by the community’s values and establishes a collective vision, with short- and long-term actions to achieve that vision.
“We are excited to work on a brand-new plan for Gadsden. It has been more than 50 years since the city has undergone comprehensive planning, so this blank slate will be a huge advantage,” GMC Planner Bryan King said. “Through the comprehensive planning process, we’ll be able to develop a detailed plan to nurture city assets and tackle mounting challenges, while uniting a collective vision for the future of Gadsden.”
A comprehensive plan may include elements such as city-wide physical development; commercial corridor redevelopment; waterfront activation; economic development; zoning updates; city business and development processes; parks, recreation and trails; infrastructure planning; neighborhood revitalization; downtown connectivity; youth engagement; transportation; municipal assets planning; and more.
Engaging with the Gadsden community is of the utmost importance when developing a comprehensive plan for the city. Citywide and district meetings, community events, steering committees and online surveys will all be part of the process to help encourage citizens to get involved and provide input to develop the master plan for their city.
GMC will also be coordinating closely with Orchestra Partners, a planning and redevelopment advisory firm, that has been selected to develop a plan for the city’s riverfront. This collaboration will create a true master plan for the city that emphasizes redevelopment downtown, maximizes its most valuable assets, and maps out the steps necessary to achieving the city’s goals.
The comprehensive plan is projected to be finalized in 2024, with steps to implement the plan beginning soon after.
GMC’s planning team has developed comprehensive plans for communities throughout the Southeast, most recently including the Map for Mobile Comprehensive Plan (Mobile, Alabama); Envision Montgomery 2040 Comprehensive Plan (Montgomery, Alabama); Dalton Corridor Improvement Plan (Dalton, Georgia); Aloe Bay Harbour Town Center Master Plan (Dauphin Island, Alabama); Glynn County Comprehensive Master Plan Update (Glynn County, Georgia); Southside Next Strategic Master Plan (Southside, Alabama); and more.