Kannapolis, North Carolina

The Move Kannapolis Forward 2030 Comprehensive Plan built off of recent public and private investments that are transforming the former mill town. The plan envisions a City where the strength of its historic heritage, growing connections to Charlotte, and burgeoning industries including high performance racing teams and medical research are harnessed for economic and environmental resilience in a way that is inclusive of all community members. Outreach was a critical component of the planning process and public engagement took place via attendance at multiple community gatherings, discussions at local businesses, feedback at large public meetings, and online using social media and surveys. The plan established new direction for creating mixed use urban centers, revitalizing corridors, preserving the historic mill village neighborhood, prioritizing infrastructure in distressed areas, growing smart on the edges, and integrating high quality green space.

A key phase of the planning process included evaluating relationships between the draft Conceptual Growth Framework and Future Land Use and Character maps and proposed transportation system improvements. The analysis used the Metropolitan Regional Travel Demand Model as a screening tool and considered current conditions and opportunities for expanding multimodal infrastructure and enhancing connectivity, safety, aesthetics, and access management for all travel modes. The team also supported downtown revitalization by identifying the City’s pressing parking, transit, and passenger rail needs and included tools for improving transit services. The plan was unanimously adopted in March 2018. Clarion is now under contract with the City to prepare an update to its Unified Development Ordinance.

photo license: PHHI [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]