The development of any county plan is deeply rooted in community feedback and meaningful collaboration, and this General Plan update even more so. Thrive Montgomery 2050 stems from more than two years of extensive outreach by Montgomery Planning. Planners reached out to a wide spectrum of stakeholders including students, homeowners and civic associations, nonprofit advocacy groups and community-based organizations, and representatives of large and small businesses.
The outreach effort was also designed to emphasize engagement with members of racial and ethnic groups who historically have been left out of land use and planning processes. Focused on connecting with community influencers, this effort included 180+ meetings, multilingual marketing and communications, and countless pivots to remain active and stay safe in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition to hosting listening sessions and other opportunities for public feedback, the County Council also invited a racial equity and social justice review on the draft plan, which inspired additional outreach to underrepresented communities to inform subsequent revisions that made the final plan more representative and equitable.
Thrive Montgomery 2050 Outreach and Engagement Appendix
In addition to more than 180 meetings and virtual and in-person engagements, Montgomery Planning conducted extensive community outreach from June 2019 to April 2021, the County Council created additional opportunities for input on Thrive Montgomery 2050 from as diverse a group of county residents and business owners as possible. Following a recommendation from the Office of Legislative Oversight, Montgomery Planning also engaged a consultant to launch more targeted outreach to Black communities, Indigenous communities, and people of color.
These efforts generated real evolution within the plan to better advance racial equity and social justice, as well as detailed information on targeted community engagement, a description of the community engagement process and the methodologies used to gather feedback, and recommendations applicable to any future outreach efforts.
What we’ve heard
Since June 2019, Montgomery Planning has engaged the Montgomery County community to imagine what life will be like in 2050 to inform the development of the new General Plan and what is needed to allow us to thrive in the decades to come.
Staff Contact
Maren Hill
Email
301-650-5613
Thrive Montgomery 2050 Distance Engagement
Montgomery Planning is offering many ways to participate in the Thrive Montgomery 2050 process while respecting social distancing.
Now is your chance to weigh in on the future of the county. Participate online, by phone, in English or Spanish.