Hartford 2035 City Plan
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HARTFORD CITY PLAN City of Hartford Planning and Zoning Commission Adopted May 12, 2020 - Would do a redesign without the gray on the left, maybe some sort of photo collage here (OK to use photos you’re re-using in the plan – preferably no pics w/o people), b/c I think a single pic would not be representative, and people will be hit with a bunch of no-picture text for about 5 pages, so they’ll keep the pics to hold onto - Would title it, Hartford City Plan [I think we can leave out the 2035] - Would leave out “Part 1” – we are not doing a Part 2 - If you want to incorporate the Hartford 400 logo somewhere, that is OK, or you can wait. - I don’t think we need any other words. Do you? contents introduction 5 vision 11 time & place 3 letter from the mayor 6 eight overall priorities 0 4 our starting point 1 7 five action areas 2 8 ten key recommendations 9 ten transformative projects 17 five action areas 58 process 68 addenda 18 green 59 timeline 69 hartford city map 3 26 grow 4 60 public participation 5 70 future land use map 34 live 63 research 71 state law issues 42 move 66 prior plans 72 acknowledgments 50 play 67 hartford 400 74 image sources HARTFORD CITY PLAN p. 2 letter from the mayor Dear Fellow Hartford Residents, Every ten years, each municipality in Connecticut must develop a plan for From those big, ambitious goals to the hundreds of smaller ones, our city the next decade. We wanted to do more than that. Our goal was to lay plan represents the aspirations of families in every neighborhood, out a vision for where we want our community to be when the City of residents old and new, our anchor institutions and our newest businesses Hartford turns 400—fifteen years from now, in 2035. and non-profits. Our ability to achieve those goals will depend on our ability to work together, within the City and within the region. We must Over the last year, more than two thousand residents participated in this prioritize our collective progress over narrow interests—to build a strong planning process, discussing and debating our strengths and and thriving Capital City. weaknesses, sharing their aspirations and hopes. Under the leadership of our Planning & Zoning Commission, those countless hours of deliberation At the same time, we must recognize that we are finalizing this plan and partnership were distilled into the plan you see here today. amidst an unprecedented global pandemic, which will continue to have a profound effect on the social, economic, and physical wellbeing of our Hartford is a great city with a rich history. More than 14,000 years after community for months and perhaps years ahead. But we will not let this Native American peoples first settled on this land, we have a beautifully crisis lower our ambitions. Instead, we will draw on Hartford’s incredible diverse community that values our differences and strives for an inclusive, spirit of selflessness, resilience, pride, and faith—and work tirelessly to equitable, prosperous future. Over the past few years, we have seen new make this plan a reality. energy, vitality, and investment. But we have so much more to do. Sincerely, We have bold goals for our community, including reconnecting Hartford fully to the riverfront, completing ten transformative economic development projects, implementing the ambitious plans for our parks and bike infrastructure, becoming Connecticut’s live music capital, and perhaps most importantly, cutting gun violence in half. Luke A. Bronin Mayor HARTFORD CITY PLAN p. 3 our starting point Fifteen years from now in 2035, our city will turn 400. What kind of Hartford do we want on that great birthday? And how do we make it happen? who Over the last year, nearly 2,200 people have suggested Now is the time to act. We can change our trajectory if you: the 125,000 residents of Hartford, and answers to these questions through tailored surveys we think together, work together, and act together. everyone in the region who has a stake in and more than 50 meetings. We have heard from Residents of Hartford will play the largest role in Hartford’s rise seniors and schoolchildren, residents and suburbanites, realizing this City Plan. But we also have to build bridges what athletes and librarians, businesspeople and artists. with people in neighboring communities across the an ambitious, shared vision for the Capital City Connecticut Valley. This City Plan reflects their ambitious, shared vision for when a Hartford that is dramatically more sustainable, That is why, under the umbrella of the “Hartford 400” now (2020) through 2035, a 15-year span leading prosperous, equitable, mobile, and vibrant. Simplified, initiative, we are coordinating our City Plan with a to the 400th anniversary of Hartford we could call this the Green-Grow-Live-Move-Play region-wide vision for the whole Connecticut Valley. vision. Both the City Plan and the Hartford 400 Plan share the where Green-Grow-Live-Move-Play framework to imagine the 18 square miles of Hartford, which is the economic and cultural heart of the Connecticut A city plan sets forth a vision for the future. Before we what’s possible as we move into Hartford’s fifth century. Valley begin, it’s important to take stock of the present. Hartford has achieved a lot in recent years. In the end, the City Plan and the Hartford 400 Plan why represent all of us, connected, in the valley we share: to make the Capital City more sustainable, Yet there is much more to do. Hartford still suffers from each person, family, community, block, street, business, prosperous, equitable, mobile, and vibrant in the the effects of past policies, such as redlining, organization, company, town, and city. hopes of increasing overall community well-being educational disinvestment, and destructive urban renewal. These policies perpetuated racial and Please join us now, at the starting point. Make Hartford how economic segregation. Many of our residents feel yours—and help make Hartford the place we envision through the cooperative effort of residents of Hartford and the region working together to locked out of opportunity. together. achieve priorities, large and small, across five interconnected areas of focus HARTFORD CITY PLAN p. 4 vision • eight overall priorities • five action areas • ten key recommendations • ten transformative projects 1 p. 5 eight overall priorities In listening to the thousands of people who provided input into this City Plan, we have developed an overall vision for radically improved community well-being: higher life satisfaction, happiness, and quality of life. Within this overall vision, we To become more equitable and have identified eight more specific priorities. If a suggestion was not likely to prosperous, we need to grow. To grow we achieve one of these priorities, it was not included in the City Plan. need to attract new businesses and The eight overall priorities are: create jobs. To attract investment and talent, we need to create exceptional quality of place. To enhance quality of unity security place, we must make the city and valley create a sense of unity and pride, foster the economic, educational, and soften neighborhood, city- food, transportation, and physical more sustainable, mobile and vibrant. suburb, and racial-ethnic divisions security of households This calls for a unifying vision. health identity become a healthy city with a create a strong and coherent holistic approach to addressing the identity through place-making and well-being of individuals and marketing families density connection fill vacant lots, attract new visitors, strengthen neighborhood main and increase residential population streets and their connections to by 10% throughout the city downtown and other town centers ingenuity nature cultivate human curiosity, wonder, maximize the benefits of our and creativity in our schools and natural resources, from the River to the community at large trees, to improve well-being overall HARTFORD CITY PLAN p. 6 five action areas ENERGY To Green Hartford… The city has an award-winning green FAUNA we need to make a more environmental sustainability FLORA sustainable environment initiative that has earned national recognition for its efforts in RESILIENCY agriculture, green infrastructure, These five interconnected action areas RIVER and renewable energy. WASTE help organize our City Plan. If we make substantial progress in each of these areas by 2035, Hartford will become AVENUES To Grow Hartford… With start-up entrepreneurs and more sustainable, prosperous, equitable, grow CONSTRUCTION we need a more established companies alike, we’re DEVELOPMENT prosperous economy building an innovation economy mobile, and vibrant. that is growing fast, and we’ve ENTREPRENEURSHIP created a service corps to bring job KNOWLEDGE skills to hundreds of youth. We have developed ambitious, specific WORKFORCE strategies for thirty different areas. Working together, we can achieve them. FOOD To Live Hartford… Quality, affordable housing is going live HEALTH we need a more up in nearly every neighborhood, HOUSING equitable community along with new and rebuilt schools, streetlights, community gardens, SAFETY medical facilities, and park SCHOOLS improvements. SOCIAL SERVICES AIRPORTS To Move Hartford… New commuter rail and bus rapid move BIKING we need more transit, and investments in walking BUSES mobile transport and biking, are improving the way we move, while our popular regional RAIL airport is growing rapidly. ROADS WALKING ARTS To Play Hartford… Our stadiums, museums, music play CULTURE we need more halls, and neighborhood cultural HISTORY vibrant culture attractions are pulling in visitors from across the Northeast, and PARKS downtown is emerging as a vital SPORTS urban hub once again. TOURISM HARTFORD CITY PLAN p.