In 2011, the City of Savannah adopted portions of a Master Plan, the first cohesive vision of the city’s future since General Oglethorpe laid out the squares. The Savannah Development and Renewal Authority (SDRA) is leading an update to that 20 year plan called Downtown Savannah 2033, that expands the boundaries of the city’s growth potential and accounts for the effect on its people, and input from every corner of the community is needed.Plans and projects are already in the works that impact transportation, zoning and development. Citizens from the Eastside, Southside, Westside and Downtown are invited to a series of charrettes (community conversations) taking place in March and April where urban planners, architects and designers will share ideas tailored to those areas and provide a forum for the community to have input. The contributions will culminate with a presentation at the Congress for the New Urbanism, a national conference hosted by Savannah this May.
Providing a framework that includes the concerns of our citizenry can help future leaders preserve the city’s character while supporting its prosperity. Recently defunded in the City budget, the SDRA is offering these efforts as a gift to the next generation—the more citizens that participate, the stronger the outcome.