Rochester Hills Master Plan Update

Giffels Webster assisted the City of Rochester Hills with a Master Plan update in 2018. The planning process started with a series of three visioning workshops: one with the City’s leadership staff, a second with the Rochester Hills Youth Council and a third joint session with the Planning Commission and City Council.

Giffels Webster included a range of in-person and online opportunities to increase participation among the general public. These include Giffels Webster’s Picture This!^™ GIS-based planning tool, adult and youth surveys, open house events and more. Various marketing materials were also implemented to boost awareness.

Through these meetings, the following themes emerged and influenced the plan’s development:

1. Age-Friendly Community: The Master Plan explores opportunities to provide current and future residents of all ages with a variety of options for housing, transportation, goods and services, and community facilities/resources.
2. Sustainability: The Master Plan directs growth, development, and redevelopment in ways that preserve natural features, reduce storm water runoff, and enhance non-motorized transportation.
3. Transportation: The Master Plan supports connectivity throughout the city and anticipate how changing technology will impact our mobility. Public input was an important component of the Master Plan process and our team utilized a variety of tools and techniques to both bring the community into meetings as well as bring meetings to the community. These strategies included two public open houses and several open meetings as well as online surveys and online platforms for photo sharing and dialog.