Guiding Principle & Themes
Throughout the hundreds of hours spent in in-person meetings and thousands of lines of input received through online engagement tools, one unifying concept emerged: Quality of Place.
FORWARD SGF’s “NORTH STAR” is Quality of Place
Quality of Place is defined by the built environment and the community’s ability to provide amenity-rich neighborhoods and commercial districts. It is interconnected across all Plan elements and should act as a lens through which future growth, investment, and City initiatives are directed. While the Comprehensive Plan should be used to inform decisions and specific sections should be referenced depending on the topic at hand, Quality of Place should serve as a north star used to guide all future decision making.
Creating Complete Neighborhoods
Quality Places begin with healthy neighborhoods that host a range of diverse housing types, that are well connected with multi-modal facilities and access to goods, services, and community facilities.
Stewardship
Caring for neighborhoods and resident health and taking responsibility and ownership for the use and protection of the environment and the ecology of the land and natural resources are all critical to economic and social health. To be more welcoming, livable, and business-friendly the city prioritizes promoting and protection its image, character, and identity.
Creating a Vital Economy
A vital economy must be competitive and should promote flexibility and offer incentives to attract entrepreneurs, start-ups, and a remote workforce. Through an exchange of use flexibility for quality design and construction, Springfield will encourage and attract new development and redevelopment with a higher standard and Quality of Place.
Themes
The Forward SGF Comprehensive Plan contains three themes which are all crucial aspects of quality of place relating to multiple topics across chapters and have been treated as cross-cutting themes, weaving through each element of the Plan rather than individual chapters.
Community Physical Image
The City should establish itself as the urban gateway to the Ozarks, a city of authenticity that celebrates both the urban and the natural.
Arts, Culture & Historic Preservation
Springfield should continue to flourish as a community that celebrates its local arts, culture, and history as integral and defining aspects of the City.
Health & Well-Being
Health and well-being should be integrated into all aspects of quality-of-life in Springfield through mindful collaboration with public agencies and private service providers.