What is NFK2050?
NFK2050 (or Norfolk2050) is the new Comprehensive Plan for Norfolk, creating a new framework for how our city will grow and evolve over the next 25 years.
NFK2050 is used to guide the City’s decisions on many topics that affect the daily lives of residents and stakeholders, including (but not limited to): Housing, Arts and Culture, Transportation & Mobility, Economic Development, Natural/Built Environment, Land Use Policies, Capital Improvement Program (CIP) projects, and Historic Preservation.
What Is A Comprehensive Plan and Why Does It Matter To Me?
The Comprehensive Plan is, at its core, a guide that captures the vision of what a community wants to be in the future. Sometimes also referred to as a master plan or a general plan, it is the foundational document of long-term planning, land use planning, zoning, and growth management in the United States and enables local government officials and citizens to anticipate and deal constructively with changes occurring within the community. It is a broad effort to address a wide range of community issues and concerns, and to understand the important relationships between each part of a community.
There is great value to a community in developing a Comprehensive Plan and the process itself can be as valuable as the final document. The planning process allows a community to be proactive (vs. reactive) to issues and changes that arise over time, provides guidance for orderly growth and development, provides an opportunity to think regionally, serves as a guide from which to base all decision-making in the present and over time (regardless of turnover in leadership), and can set up the community for grant funding success.
NFK2050 – What We Heard
What we heard from the Norfolk community through the NFK2050 engagement process was far-ranging, optimistic, and visionary: a deep appreciation for Norfolk’s neighborhoods, empathy for our most vulnerable neighbors, a passion for our natural and urban environments, and a belief that Norfolk can truly become more connected and prosperous by 2050. This shared vision in turn laid the foundation for the rest of the NFK2050 Plan.
Building on our emerging themes, and with the strong guidance of the diverse voices in Norfolk’s neighborhoods and communities, a consolidated Plan Vision encompasses the dreams and aspirations of our city for the next 25 years and beyond.
By 2050, Norfolk will be...
- an Equitable city, where residents of all ages and backgrounds can find opportunity.
- a Resilient city, able to withstand future social, environmental, and economic shifts.
- a city leading its Region, collaboratively charting a clear course for neighboring communities.
- a city for Families, where households of all sizes and types can envision taking root.
- a city leading Quality of Life, where residents embrace nature and community while meeting their daily needs.
Throughout the planning process, the NFK2050 team, which included City staff, consultants, and NFK2050 Champions, traveled across the city to meet residents and stakeholders where they are and collect input on various aspects of the plan. The interactive map below reflects those engagement opportunities.