The city of Pensacola unveiled its first comprehensive plan for the next ten years.
Mayor D.C. Reeves called the “Strive to Thrive: Pensacola 2035 Strategic Plan” a groundbreaking initiative and “a road map for a bright and prosperous future for Pensacola.”
“For the first time, the seven council members and the administration have an aligned vision,” Reeves said. “We’ve never had such robust engagement from the people who fund this government and this study.”
The urban design firm Gehl developed the plan. Anna Muessig, team director, emphasized its uniqueness.
“Until this moment, Pensacola had no cohesive and overarching strategic plan for our city,” she said.
The plan is the result of a year-long community engagement process. Gehl gathered input from 1,700 citizens across 20 locations, including 1,200 survey responses. They also reviewed all previous plans for Pensacola, consolidating them into a single citywide strategy.
“We had several vision workshops with a core group of stakeholders from the public and private sectors. You helped us to not only define what these goals are but to land their nuance and meaning and language in the Pensacola context," Muessig said.
The team’s research identified six challenges, with housing for all income levels emerging as the top priority. Muessig explained, “When we asked people what is the most critical challenge for Pensacola in the next 10 years, we heard some really powerful statements. Attainable housing was the number one top theme.”
Eight goals
To tackle those challenges, the strategic plan identified eight key goals for Pensacola to implement. Muessig summed them up in the plan’s vision statement, “By 2035, all residents have the support they need to stay and thrive in their city at every stage of life. So that means that we’re creating equitable outcomes for everyone, that investments promote security and opportunities or baseline benefits, that foundational necessities like housing, safe streets, and community resources are cared for.”
One proposed solution is to offer incentives for rental developments aimed at households earning 60% or less of the area’s median income.
“This is an opportunity for housing stability for working people,” Muessig said.
Reeves suggested the city’s departments evaluate their current activities and align them with the new strategic plan.
“It encourages each department to assess what they are currently doing, identify areas for improvement, and consider reducing or eliminating outdated practices that no longer serve their goals. The aim is to foster a culture of reflection and adaptability, moving away from long-standing habits that may not align with current priorities. Each department should engage their staff in this process and report back on how their activities fit within established objectives, prompting necessary adjustments to priorities,” he said.
Accountability
The strategic plan also includes metrics to track progress on its eight main goals. Reeves committed to accountability in implementation.
“I have no problem continuing to remain accountable to that progress,” he said. “Certainly, at least on an annual basis, I would expect there’s going to be an analysis done and reported back out that would say, ‘Here’s where we are, here’s where we’re making progress, and here’s where we need to make progress.”
The complete “Strive to Thrive: Pensacola 2035 Strategic Plan” is available for public review.
