City unveils 10-year strategic plan

November 11

City unveils 10-year strategic plan

Over the past year, the urban design firm Gehl heard the voices of more than 1,700 Pensacola area residents, reviewed more than 30 previously drafted municipal plans and reports, and looked at examples of other long-term strategic plans from other communities across the nation and globe.

Gehl’s team came away with a clear mission for the city of Pensacola: that by 2035, “all residents have the support they need to stay and thrive in their city – at every stage of life.” And to help meet that goal, Gehl created a 71-page report with clear instructions, steps and metrics showing the way forward.

On Monday, Gehl publicly released a 10-year strategic plan for the city called “Strive to Thrive: Pensacola 2035,” a document that is “the result of input from over a thousand voices, setting a vision for the cityʼs future over the next decade and beyond.”

Anna Muessig, a partner and senior project director at Gehl, will present the plan at a special CivicCon event 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Bayview Community Center.

The document includes seven key takeaways from the community engagement period, eight goals to guide priorities for Pensacola for the next 10 years, a “prioritization framework” to help the community identify investments that address our core community concerns, and specific actions and measurements the city can use to stay on track.

“So what now?” Mayor D.C. Reeves asked in an open letter to the community included in the report. “With this plan in hand, it is my duty as your Mayor to oversee its implementation. We know the story of plans left unexecuted. Our city, like so many, has fallen victim to many plans and little execution over the years. I expect to be held accountable to these priorities, and while the world has changed over the years, this vision you have provided for your city is the new guiding document for my administration.”

Seven takeaways from the Pensacola community

Pensacola communities shared their ideas and priorities through neighborhood pop-ups, a public open house, vision workshops, focus groups, interviews and online surveys, and Gehl distilled that input into seven major takeaways:

Residents most appreciate how their city balances small town charm and growth. Many expressed a desire to balance growth with preserving the area’s family-friendly atmosphere, beautiful green spaces and natural landscapes.

Locals’ favorite destinations reveal their love for both socializing downtown and relaxing in nature. Asked their favorite place in Pensacola, 25% of respondents’ top answer was downtown, 14% said the beach. All other answers were 2% or less of the total.

Residents are feeling positive about the neighborhoods they live in. When asked to score their level of satisfaction on a scale of 0-100, Pensacolaʼs average score was 73, indicating a generally positive sentiment. The most common score was 90.

People in Pensacola are cautiously optimistic about the changes happening in the city. Asked how strongly they agree or disagree with the statement, “Pensacola is changing, and I think these changes will benefit me and my family,” respondents registered an average score of 56, indicating a neutral, but slightly positive sentiment.

Core concerns focus on opportunities for all generations to stay and thrive in Pensacola – especially as the city changes. Concerns about housing affordability and general cost of living were common, as were calls for better and more even investment in infrastructure throughout the city.

People want to see more housing, safer streets, and better facilities in their neighborhoods.

Residents want a plan that addresses livability, health, and equity over the next 10 years, when asked to select themes they would like prioritized in the strategic plan.

Learn more: Pensacola asked citizens what they want the city to be in 10 years. We’ve got our answer.

Along with these insights, Gehl also noted the strategic plan should serve as the city’s “north star” when considering initiatives, grant funds, partnerships and opportunities that may become available over the next 10 years.

A prioritization framework encourages the city to ask whether any potential pursuit: addresses safety and security; furthers equitable access to opportunity; advances investment in livability; addresses multiple strategic goals at once; and has a clear path to implementation, including champions and funding.

Eight goals for the city of Pensacola to ‘thrive’

Additionally, Gehl suggested the city focus on eight main goals over the next decade:

Strive to Thrive: Pensacola is setting a vision for next 10 years that will shape city

Attainable housing for all income levels

Attainable housing was the top theme present in answers when survey respondents were asked: “What is the most critical challenge that Pensacola must address in the next 10 years?”

Gehl said next steps start with “taking a hard look at Pensacolaʼs zoning to incentivize creating new affordable housing. Today, Pensacolaʼs incentive zoning does not clearly define affordable housing in exchange for more density. This is a missed opportunity. Pensacola can conduct a real estate market analysis to amend zoning and work with developers to solve this problem.”

Safe streets for all mobilities

“Safer streets for walking and biking” was the top answer when survey respondents were asked “To make your neighborhood an even better place to live, what would you like to see more of?”

The plan urges Pensacola to start by creating complete streets along key arterials and collector roads between major destinations like Cervantes and Main streets, Ninth and 12th avenues, and Pace Boulevard. It also urges the city to upgrade pedestrian crossings, sidewalks, bike lanes, and signalization systems.

“By encouraging other forms of mobility – walking, biking, transit – Pensacola can become better connected and parking less competitive. This all adds up to a safer more enjoyable city, where getting around isnʼt a hassle, but a joy,” the report says.

Support for youth experiences

Pensacola is a beautiful place to raise a family, but many residents are concerned there are not enough opportunities for youth to grow, thrive, and ultimately choose to stay in Pensacola, according to the report.

“The first step is for City and County leadership to collaborate and align on a holistic network of extracurricular care for kids. Recognizing that both the City and County have their own facilities and programs, integrating these into one system can help Pensacola families access childcare and educational activities that put kids first.”

The report also encourages collaboration the city of Pensacola and Escambia County Public Schools to share and leverage resources to “build a supportive network of programs and places that help kids grow into their best selves.”

Resilient waterfronts and neighborhoods

The city should develop a roadmap that leverages local knowledge and data-based assessments to identify actionable steps and prioritize investments that will strengthen Pensacolaʼs resilience, the report said.

“Pensacola has already created a stormwater management plan and conducted a sea-level vulnerability assessment. However, taken separately, Pensacola needs to develop a comprehensive resilience plan that contends with stormwater flooding, sea level rise, urban heat, social vulnerability, and emergency preparedness,” Gehl wrote.

More walkable, mixed-use districts

“To create more walkable mixed-use districts, Pensacola needs to focus on providing essential amenities and ensuring these qualities are equitably distributed in areas that need them most,” Gehl’s wrote.

The report added, “Pensacola is now positioned to extend the success of its downtown to other neighborhoods in need of essential and enjoyable amenities, such as grocery stores with fresh produce, civic gathering spaces, and open areas with quality programming and childcare facilities.”

Public spaces that connect communities

A citywide open space and trails plan with emphasis on equity and connectivity can help strategically weave together and phase investments to achieve a coherent vision for the cityʼs overall public space network, Gehl wrote.

“With its parks, plazas, and waterfront Pensacola has a collection of spaces that most cities would envy. But the city needs a coordinated, holistic plan for open space and trails that emphasizes investment opportunities to improve access and quality. By setting the goals for public space, the City can join forces with private developers to collaboratively realize this vision and distribute cost.”

Thriving innovation and businesses

As people seek jobs with great growth potential, Pensacola should aim to invest in large businesses in innovation economies and foster a thriving ecosystem for smaller, local businesses, the report said.

Gehl recommended Pensacola work with a group of aligned business leaders to envision commercial clusters that can prompt innovation and be desirable workplaces.

“By supporting regional innovation and businesses, Pensacola will create an environment that also nurtures the growth of both big and small businesses, including those in services, food and beverage, and retail. This balanced approach will strengthen Pensacolaʼs overall economic landscape.”

Neighborhoods that celebrate culture and honor legacy

Pensacola’s small-town charm and diverse cultures shine at signature events, with opportunities to expand into everyday neighborhood activations, Gehl wrote.

“To infuse arts and culture across the city, there needs to be a dedicated role in city government to coordinate initiatives,” the report noted.

Gehl recommended the city create an application-based program to support community-based arts and culture, prioritize neighborhoods that have community knowledge and organizing capacity but lack resources, and leverage existing events and initiatives to expand public art and cultural expression.

Learn more about Strive to Thrive 2035 at CivicCon

Anna Muessig, a partner and senior project director at Gehl, will present the plan in greater detail at a special CivicCon event Tuesday at the Bayview Community Center.

The free event will be held at the Bayview Community Center, 2001 E. Lloyd St. from 6-7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 12.

Registration for this free event is available by searching CivicCon at eventbrite.com.

CivicCon is a partnership of the News Journal and the Center for Civic Engagement to help empower citizens to better their communities through smart planning and civic conversation.

More information about CivicCon, as well as stories and videos featuring previous speakers, is available at pnj.com/civiccon.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola Strive to Thrive 2035 plan unveils at CivicCon

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