Big Idea: Creating Great Places

Strategy 1: Protect and enhance the unique character of every neighborhood. Leverage planning and permitting tools to safeguard the environment and historic buildings and places from potential negative impacts of development, redevelopment, public projects, and commercial encroachment. Encourage Placemaking projects and improvements that reinforce the distinct character of each neighborhood. Strengthen the role of homeowner and  neighborhood associations in recognizing, enhancing, and celebrating the unique neighborhood character.

Strategy 2: Meet housing needs and desires with a sufficient and diverse supply of housing products, prices and locations. Find opportunities to add to the variety of housing types and price points that are close to downtown, employment centers, community services, and public transit. Coordinate housing programs and include small-area plans with efforts to create walkable infill and provide a range of housing options near transit hubs and other amenities, and find opportunities to add public and private amenities in neighborhoods receiving support for housing.

Strategy 3: Work towards providing housing for all of Greensboro. Ensure that supportive and transitional housing are included in the housing mix. Support and foster collaboration between agencies and non-profit organizations that aim to reduce and eliminate homelessness.

Strategy 1: Continue to identify and promote the historic fabric of the City. Collaborate with museums, history experts, and community partners to create a strong heritage tourism program to promote area historic attractions. Cultivate local community support for historic preservation by organizing and supporting education, awareness, and celebration of Greensboro’s role in history with events, displays, presentations, and other tools.

Strategy 2: Continue to protect the City’s historic resources. Leverage existing policies and explore new tools to ensure that development and infrastructure improvements in new and historic residential areas near downtown complements the existing character of the area. Continue to develop tools that recognize the wide range of historic events that have occurred in Greensboro in addition to preserving its physical assets.

Strategy 1: Support continuing investment Downtown. Consider the use of strategic plans for Downtown to identify priority development areas and coordinate improvements to streetscapes, road design, water capacity, and other public services that will encourage heightened private investment.

Strategy 2: Continue to focus on recruiting retail, restaurants, art and cultural venues, offices, and residences to Downtown. Foster entrepreneurship within the City by developing policies and programs that provide support for new local businesses to locate Downtown. Identify specific businesses, retailers, restaurants in surrounding communities that are desired for Downtown and develop relationships and incentives that will encourage them to relocate or expand to Greensboro.

Strategy 3: Attract residents and visitors Downtown throughout the year, week, and day with increased festivals, activities, and events related to the arts, music, theatre, and commerce. Build on collaborations with community groups such as the Greensboro Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, foundations, Chamber of Commerce, the arts and history community, young professionals, universities and colleges, to plan and execute current and new events and activities that highlight Downtown as the “heart” of the community.