City of Jacksonville Vision Plan & Urban Planning

The City of Jacksonville embarked on a two-plus year-long planning study to develop Visions for Planning Districts 1: The Urban Core; 2: Greater Arlington/Beaches; and 3: The Southeast, plus a future land-use element for the entire city. In great part, the success of this grassroots effort was due to the thoughtful and creative input from the community, engaged through a comprehensive Community Outreach Program. The purpose of the plans was to identify community goals, objectives, and planning potentials for growth. Now complete, the Vision Plans, together with the new Future Land Use Map and Future Land Use Element, provide a blueprint for future development throughout the entire city. The vision includes strategies for enhancing the quality of life by addressing neighborhood preservation, industrial preservation, and green infrastructure. The vision and planning process included a public outreach process with a blog that allowed direct and real-time communication with the community. The development of the plans included community conversations and a steering committee for each district. The vision plans are framed by guiding principles developed as a result of the process.
The five guiding principles, which vary a bit from district to district, are:

• Community Character/Uniqueness
• Mixed Land Uses/Density/Redevelopment Infill
• Improving Transportation Choice
• Economic Growth
• Open Space/Green Infrastructure