Manassas Long Range Planning Division has received two prestigious awards honoring its planning and public engagement.
The American Planning Association Virginia Commonwealth Plan of the Year Award honors the Virginian planning document that demonstrates outstanding planning processes, vision, implementation strategies, and innovative approaches.
This award was given to Manassas for the city’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan.
Award judges stated that the 2040 Manassas Comprehensive Plan looks ahead to the year 2040, and sketches out both big-picture issues and neighborhood-specific plans that guide future land use, development, recreation, preservation, and transportation policy decisions.
The second award, the Old Dominion Innovative Approaches Award, honors the Community Conversations engagement initiative that was essential in guiding the 2040 Plan, and recognizes pioneering planning efforts including innovative planning processes, plans, programs, initiatives, or site developments that will have real results.
“We had a great team leading this process,” said City Manager W. Patrick Pate. “I am not surprised that they were honored with these awards, but am honored that the Virginia APA has recognized their efforts in this manner. The Comprehensive Plan will benefit the City of Manassas well into the future as we continue to promote the historic and modern attributes of our community.”
In the first phase of Community Conversations in 2017, more than 400 citizens responded to questions at various pop-up sites, often posting colorful post-it notes to respond to questions on posters.
In phase two in 2018, more than 250 people attended small group discussions at venues across Manassas, while 200 answered questions at pop-up events, and 500 visited an interactive website.
The input gathered helped define a community-driven vision for the city’s strategic priorities and for the 2040 Comprehensive Plan.
The City’s Planning Commission created a Comprehensive Plan Update subcommittee chaired by Elaine Trautwein to help staff craft the 2040 Plan, which is required to be reviewed every 5 years.
The Commission also hosted a series of Community Conversation discussions with citizens.
RHI, a landscape architecture, planning, and urban design firm, also helped to facilitate Community Conversation small group discussions.
The 2040 Comprehensive Plan was adopted by the Manassas City Council in February and may be viewed online.
