Congratulations to the City of Tuscaloosa for receiving the 2021 Outstanding Planning Award for Framework from the Alabama Chapter of the American Planning Association.
The Outstanding Planning Award for a Comprehensive Plan recognizes an outstanding comprehensive plan addressing the long-range development of an area, town, city, county or region. The plan was assessed on six criteria:
1. Originality/Innovation
2. Quality
3. Comprehensiveness
4. Transferability
5. Public Participation and
6. Role of Planners
The Framework Plan was adopted in February 2021 after a robust process that began in 2018. It’s the first true comprehensive plan for the city, addressing many challenges and opportunities in an integrated way. Tuscaloosa’s previous land use plan was drafted in 2009 and since that time the community experienced a global recession, devastating tornadoes in 2011, significant population growth, and now a global pandemic.
The Framework process also involves a complete rewrite of the city’s zoning code and subdivision regulations, which is now underway. The zoning code update will undertaken by team member Clarion Associates.
In addition to the Outstanding Planning Award for Framework. The city also received an Outstanding Planning Award for Elevate Tuscaloosa and a Distinguished Leadership Award was given to Mayor Walt Maddox.
The Alabama Chapter of the American Planning Association helps residents of Alabama improve the quality of their lives through rational and comprehensive approaches to physical, economic, and human resource planning. Learn more at alabamaplanning.org.
