Mansfield Tomorrow Comprehensive Plan
Town of Mansfield, Connecticut, Mansfield, CT
A comprehensive plan for preserving community identity while accommodating growth
The Town of Mansfield, home to the flagship campus of the University of Connecticut, selected Goody Clancy to work with the community creating a state-of-the art plan and zoning through an initiative called Mansfield Tomorrow. Funded by a Sustainable Communities Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Mansfield Tomorrow is focuses on making the town a model of sustainable practices and preserving historic and rural character while accommodating university-fueled growth.
Notable aspects of the project include:
- A robust digital and face-to-face community engagement program
- Strategies for sustainability, housing, economic development, and the economic viability of agriculture
- Designation of and conceptual planning for mixed-use centers and villages, along with compact residential areas, where public water and sewer will allow for a variety of higher-density housing types, commercial, and light industry land uses
- Protection of the rural character of the majority of the town, including residential, agricultural and forestry land uses, through permanent protection of public and semi-public open space and zoning refinements
- New initiatives for preservation and expansion of affordable housing
- An economic development and fiscal strategy to attract businesses to locate in mixed-use centers
- Preparation of a town sustainability audit and areas for partnership with the university on sustainability initiatives and awareness
- Rewriting zoning regulations to implement the plan through user-friendly regulations with clear development and design standards
