The Planning Process:
Growth Management & Land Use

Vision

The Growth Management and Land Use Planning Committee has the vision for the future of Springfield to promote the development of a community that provides a high quality of life in 2030 by supporting sustainable development; balancing the rights of individual property owners with community development goals; encouraging innovative strategies for revitalization; building on community strengths; providing connectivity and accessibility; maintaining natural resources; and promoting collaboration among the City of Springfield, Greene County, and the surrounding municipalities.

We encourage you to review the DRAFT Growth Management & Land Use chapter of Field Guide 2030.

Background

The 2010 Census numbers confirm what we already knew: the Springfield area is growing. With ample opportunities for education, employment, affordable housing and a quality of life, we can expect more and more people to choose to call our community home. The question is how will Springfield grow? Where will future residents live? Where will they work, go to school, shop, play? And how will they get around town?

For more than a year, hundreds of volunteers have sought to answer these and other questions, to help us envision Springfield 20 years from now. More specifically, we’ve been working on a plan for Springfield to remain a vibrant, prosperous and enjoyable community.

It has been our privilege to serve as co-chairs of the Growth Management and Land Use planning committee, which studied our community’s growth and development patterns, as well as economic and social conditions which will impact future growth. Our five goals are: sustainability, revitalization, connectivity, natural resources, and collaboration. These goals outline the direction Springfield citizens told us they wanted to see through surveys, open houses and visioning sessions.

Making good use of existing resources is essential for our community to compete globally for the jobs and markets necessary to provide opportunity for current citizens and future generations. Prosperous growth will require planning for increased population density in our urban areas and activity centers while protecting natural resources — a major component of our quality of life in the Ozarks.

An essential function of growth planning is providing a wide range of housing options for citizens. This means both supporting new construction and empowering existing neighborhoods to keep them thriving and attractive places to live.

One way to support both new and old neighborhoods is to improve access to public transportation. This will be one of our toughest challenges, as current population density does not support a total overhaul of public transportation. However, a better public transit system would make Springfield more attractive and less congested, and prepare us for the inevitable rise of fuel costs. We are asking our local governing bodies to come together and create partnerships to tackle this challenging issue.

One transportation project already underway is The Link, which connects a network of bicycle routes, bus routes and greenways to help alleviate traffic congestion as well as provide a safe means to commute across the city without an automobile.

Connecting the Growth Management and Land Use Plan to the goals of economic development and sustainability has guided our vision of what Springfield can become. We want to foster a balanced growth pattern across Springfield and the region to support an environment of opportunity for our citizens and landowners. Collaborative efforts by all of our communities and agencies will be required to maintain orderly growth and to meet the vision and goals our residents.

Take a look at our full draft chapter online, and let us know what you think. We don’t presume to have all the answers and we need your input. This is your community. Become a part of preparing for our future.

By: Matt Edwards – Vice Chairman, Planning and Zoning Commission and Mike Scott
4.26.2011