How do you make a strong city and even stronger? By undertaking a comprehensive plan designed for the future. That’s what the Planning NEXT team did in collaboration with the city of Upper Arlington, a first ring suburb of Columbus, Ohio. Even with excellent schools, high-quality residential areas, and a stellar location close to a Big 10 university, when Upper Arlington came to Planning NEXT, the City had not undertaken a comprehensive planning process in 40 years. This land locked city had development and fiscal issues. So, together, Planning NEXT and City leaders engaged residents to generate nearly 1,000 ideas. The team synthesized those ideas into the goals and strategies of a comprehensive plan that has since broadened the City’s tax base through redevelopment and a new zoning code. This also laid a foundation for addressing neighborhood character through impactful follow-up work such as through a subsequent River Ridge and Kingsdale West Study. Even better, it also improved the community’s overall appearance and quality of life and has kept Upper Arlington a leader for quality development in the region.