Dear Neighbor,
Once in a decade, Providence updates its Comprehensive Plan, a policy document that guides City growth through a robust and collaborative community engagement process.
The Comprehensive Plan is the foundation for Providence’s land use and zoning code and the cornerstone of all planning efforts for housing, transportation, land use, green space and economic development. The final product informs other plans such as the recent Great Streets Plan, Downtown Vision Plan and other related initiatives like the Climate Justice Plan.
An effective Comprehensive Plan reflects the needs and ideas of our diverse community. And as with all major policy decisions, we want to hear your feedback and have designed a participatory process to have your voice heard.
In this “Listen & Learn” phase of community engagement, we’re sharing information to empower community members to participate in the process and listening to better understand the issues that are most important to people across the city.
You will find folks from the Planning Department tabling at community events, presenting at neighborhood meetings and gathering input through this introductory survey.
Early in 2023, the Planning Department will move into the “Vision & Collaborate” phase. During this phase, they will share back what they have learned from community members and host a number of events, including collaborative workshops and discussion-based outdoor strolls. These events will highlight key issues in the Comprehensive Plan and explore possible directions for our city.
Finally, Planning will begin revising the Comprehensive Plan and seek additional feedback from community members before the plan starts to move through the approval process.
You can learn more about the Comprehensive Plan Update, check out the schedule of events and sign up for the email list at
I hope you will consider engaging with us as we work to update Providence’s Comprehensive Plan.
Sincerely,
Jorge O. Elorza