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NORMAN Community Dialogue
Building a Quality Norman by Choice not by Chance

The Citizens of Norman were invited to participate in a very important and critical event in the life of the City of Norman. On May 18, 2006, the City of Norman began a community dialogue designed to develop a strategic vision for our future. The process is intended to recapture the energy and progress made in the Norman 2025 master planning effort and build toward community consensus about what kind of city we hope to be and how we can achieve it. This whole effort is an initiative of Mayor Harold Haralson and the City Council under the auspices of the Planning Committee, whose members included Cindy Rosenthal, Chair, Mandy Haws, and Rachel Butler.

A strategic plan must include not only physical planning considerations but also the social and human resources and needs of our community. This process is informed by the advice of the “Smart Communities” movement which encourages communities to:

• Invest right the first time
• Work together
• Build on assets
• Practice Democracy
• Preserve the Past
• Grow New Leaders
• Invent the Future

This first meeting included an opportunity to become more familiar with various long-range planning efforts already underway in conjunction with various city boards, departments and associated groups. In addition, participants were asked to engage in focused table conversations about opportunities and challenges facing the City of Norman. This initial meeting was followed with a series of strategic planning sessions to develop goals and strategies for our community.