Norfolk’s Neighborhood Planning Initiative is all about:

• Improving neighborhoods

• Giving stakeholders a chance to play an active role in planning their community’s future

The City starts by inviting stakeholders to be part of a neighborhood steering committee, made up of people from within the community’s civic league, churches, residences and businesses. Collectively, the steering committee works with the City’s planning department to develop an overall vision for their neighborhood. Goals are established, and strategies and action items are set. The final document – or the neighborhood action plan – is then brought before Norfolk City Council, who approves and sets priorities for the plan, helping to identify funding sources.

The overall goal of the Neighborhood Planning Initiative is simple:  To give the people of Norfolk the tools to make decisions, develop partnerships and negotiate for the resources they need to improve their communities. And the outcomes can benefit everything from the neighborhood’s economic development projects to needs in housing, safety, recreation, health, social services, environmental and transportation.