What’s included in the Plan?

Existing Plans: We did not start from scratch! The City has done a lot of planning over the years. Envision Our Chicopee: 2040 builds on this existing work and pulls all our best ideas into one place.
Facts and Data: We came to understand who lives in Chicopee, how old we are, where we come from, where we work, and how we get from place to place in order to make solid decisions on housing, services, transportation needs, and other aspects of life in Chicopee.
Needs and Desires: Beyond the numbers, we brought residents together to talk about the City’s future. What do you and your family and friends and neighbors need and want to live a happy and full life in Chicopee? Envision Our Chicopee: 2040 is designed to address these needs.

What does Envision Our Chicopee: 2040 cover?

Chicopee’s plan covers the issues the people of Chicopee think are most important, while being mindful of what most Comprehensive Plans cover.

Traditionally, a Comprehensive Plan includes discussions on:

Community Services

Are things like schools, police and fire, trash collection, etc. meeting our needs?

Housing

What types do we need now and in the future?

Transportation

Is it easy to get from place to place? What travel options do people have?

Future Growth

Where is new development and redevelopment desired? How can we encourage development in these areas?

Natural Resources

Are they being protected? How can we improve what we have?

Historic Resources

What represents Chicopee’s history? How do we protect and honor that history?

Economic Development

How do we help local businesses and connect residents with jobs?

Parks & Open Spaces

Does everyone have access to the types of recreation they need?

In recent years, more innovative plans have included:

Energy

What strategies can we pursue to become more energy efficient and produce energy from renewable sources?

Climate Change & Resiliency

How can we make sure that our residents and our infrastructure can adapt to increased flooding, storms, heat, and cold?

Public Health

Do we have a community where people have access to healthy foods, opportunities for exercise, and other resources to stay physically and mentally healthy?

Governance

How can we make local government operate more efficiently, effectively, and with greater transparency?

Special Places

What strategies should we adopt to strengthen special places in the community like a downtown area, waterfront area, or industrial park?

A good comprehensive plan makes sure the City looks at all these things together and understands how everything affects everything else.

How is Envision Our Chicopee: 2040 different from a Development Plan?

Comprehensive Plans are about the long-term vision for a community, while a Development Plan is a concrete proposal to develop a building or parcel in a specific way. Envision Our Chicopee: 2040 is a “living” document that can evolve over time, and generally includes:

Vision: A statement about what Chicopee wants to be 20 years from now.
Goals: What does Chicopee look like when all the community’s hopes and dreams have been achieved? These should be ambitious but also things the City can move toward in a measurable way.
Policies or Objectives: These give direction to decision-makers and everyone in the community on how to go about reaching our goals. How should the City handle difficult issues, prioritize scarce dollars, and work together to make progress?
Actions: These are the specific steps needed to keep the community moving toward our goals. These are things we can “check off the list” each year as we implement the plan.