PLANiTULSA Work Begins

Mayor Kathy Taylor has announced that she has established the PLANiTULSA Citizen Team made up of two committees and more than 130 members to assist with the PLANiTULSA comprehensive plan initiative. The Citizen Team will hold its first meeting with PLANiTULSA consultant John Fregonese on June 16.  

"All the citizens of Tulsa will be the architects of our city's new comprehensive plan, and I appreciate the willingness of the Citizen Team to meet with the consultant, help guide the process, and further our goal of bringing together citizens across the city to provide input,” Taylor said.

A list of Team members will be available June 16 on the PLANiTULSA website at www.PLANiTULSA.org. The two committees, PLANiTULSA Partners and PLANiTULSA Advisors, will provide oversight of the plan’s development and review the plan’s progress and consultant efforts. The Partners committee includes more than 100 community members who will meet periodically to provide important feedback at critical moments in the planning process. PLANiTULSA Advisors consists of 30 additional community members who will meet monthly with the consultant team. 

Both committees represent a diverse cross section of the city, with members from civic groups, business organizations, neighborhood associations, the faith community and governmental organizations.

Responsibilities of the PLANiTULSA Citizen Team include monitoring progress and assisting with public participation and involvement in the comprehensive planning process, and interacting with citizens and citizen groups to develop and promote interest and involvement in the planning process. The team will also advise the consultants on policy matters and community issues relating to development of the comprehensive plan, and review draft plan elements and reports prepared by the planning team.

PLANiTULSA is a community-wide planning project that will examine current development and economic trends through an inclusive citizen engagement process. In addition, the project will develop a vision for how Tulsans want the city to grow over the next 30 years and put an implementation plan in place to achieve this shared vision of Tulsa citizens. By updating the comprehensive plan, city officials, citizens and business owners will be able to reference a framework for development that allows for more uniform, timely and coordinated decisions.

Tulsa’s current comprehensive plan was completed in 1978 and is due for an update thanks to changing economic trends, technological advances and residents’ expectations. Typical comprehensive plan components include land use, transportation, economic development, urban design, public facilities, housing and neighborhoods, environmental protection and conservation.

The city will hold public workshops this fall to gain input for the plan and to hear the views of citizens throughout the city. These workshops will be held on September 22 and 23, 2008, at locations to be announced.

Hired to lead the comprehensive planning process is Fregonese Associates, one of the most respected land-use planning firms in the nation. The Portland-based firm works with cities to develop innovative approaches for solving urban problems, addressing future growth, and engaging citizens in productive discussions in how to plan for the future.

For more information about the plan or to get involved, visit www.PLANiTULSA.org.