Have you heard of the Charleston City Plan? Today we are breaking it down for you + sharing ways you can get involved.
What is the Charleston City Plan?
The 2020 Charleston City Plan – also called the “comprehensive plan” – is the community’s vision for the future of Charleston. State law requires municipalities to make plans for the future of our city every 10 years and update it every 5 years.
The plan covers these 10 key topics – called elements:
- Housing
- Land Use
- Resilience
- Population
- Transportation
- Natural Resources
- Priority Investment
- Cultural Resources
- Community Facilities
- Economic Development
As the plan is put together, the city is looking for community members from all over Charleston to share ideas on each of the topics + how to approach them over the next 10 years.
When completed, the City Plan will:
✅ Provide objective data for each of 10 key elements
✅ Make recommendations for land use throughout the city
✅ Guide decision makers in implementing planning-related policies
The end result will be a document illustrating how we want Charleston to look in 2030, with an end goal of reflecting a vision endorsed by the community that is backed by objective data + sets Charleston on a positive track for the next 10 years and beyond. It will be a resource for community members wanting to better understand the state of our city + how it may change in the next 10 years.
The completed City Plan will be used in several ways:
🗂 The Planning Commission + City Council will reference recommendations in the plan when considering Charleston’s growth, including: redevelopment + new development, neighborhood strengthening, commercial revitalization, and the expansion of green spaces.
🗂 The development community will use the City Plan to better understand where to invest in Charleston.
🗂 Utility providers use the City Plan when evaluating system expansion + upgrades.
Getting Involved:
You can check out the Charleston City Plan website to watch a short video on the plan, look up the FAQ’s, and explore the data. There are 15 community feedback meetings (in-person + virtual) planned this month, but you can start discussing your ideas + provide feedback at the first of 5 open house sessions, tomorrow April 2. Register here.
