CHICOPEE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
Chicopee was once one of Massachusetts’ great industrial cities that has struggled to regain economic vitality since the closing of its mills. Despite these challenges, the City has maintained an incredible collection of historic buildings and retained many unique neighborhoods, which foster a strong sense of community. Chicopee’s infrastructure systems are complex and well-maintained, and a network of parks and recreational amenities continues to grow across the City. Over the years, the planning staff has been aggressive in facilitating redevelopment efforts that have slowly breathed new life into the local economy. Until this project, Chicopee had never adopted a Comprehensive Plan, one of the few municipalities in the Commonwealth without that important resource.
We led a Comprehensive Plan update that started only months before the pandemic, forcing our team to completely rethink the approach to the project and commit to a longer process than expected. Despite these challenges, our team managed to execute an intensive engagement process and create a plan that truly reflects the values communicated to us over the course of the project. Deliverables included a standalone Action Plan and comprehensive local regulatory audit.
CLIENT: City of Chicopee, MA
OPPORTUNITY: The City had never developed a Comprehensive Plan and started only a few months before the pandemic.
SOLUTION: Assemble a team of planners, both municipal staff and consultants, who were adaptive, innovative, and unwavering in their commitment to the project.
BENEFITS: The City has a 20-year roadmap to build a healthy, prosperous community.
View the plan.
Click to learn more about the project.
Jeff Davis, AICP
SR. PLANNER, PROJECT MANAGER
jdavis@horsleywitten.com
