Vision and Master Plan

 Visioning is a process by which a community decides the future it wants and then plans how to achieve it. 

Community visioning projects are now fairly common-place. They can take a variety of forms and are unique to each locality.  Some more recent examples include projects in Sterling, Brutontown, and most recently Berea.    

The primary purpose of a visioning process is to develop a set of vision statements, community goals, and objectives that best articulate the desires of residents about the future of their community.  

These vision statements serve to direct the other sections of the master plan and offer the guiding principles and priorities upon which the master plan is based.  

Visioning processes engage the public in many ways through a variety of tools, including community surveys/questionnaires, community mapping exercises, focus groups/public forums, study circles, community workshops, blue-ribbon committees, community tours, newsletters, and special events.  

Each technique is designed to gain public input regarding the future of the community. Through public involvement, communities identify their purpose, core values, and vision of the future, all of which is then transformed into manageable and feasible community goals and an action plan.  

The development of a community vision and master plan is a unique opportunity for residents to come together with their elected officials, the business community, state and local agencies and other stakeholders to find solutions to its problems, addressing areas and issues of concern, preserving its history, and at the same time laying the groundwork for the future.  

The DMCA is proud to have initiated this effort and looks forward to working with all segments of our community and the public at-large as we bring the past and the present together to create a more prosperous future .