AIM Norman officially adopted in affirmative vote by Norman City Council

Norman City Council approved the Area & Infrastructure Master Plan (AIM Norman) on Tuesday evening in a series of votes, following nearly two years of community-driven strategic planning.

The master plan officially adopted on June 24 consists of individual plans for:

  • Transportation
  • Housing
  • Water
  • Wastewater
  • Stormwater
  • Parks, Recreation & Culture
  • Comprehensive Land Use 

"We’re so grateful to see the City Council adopt the AIM Norman master plan," said Shavonne Evans, Steering Committee co-chair. "This plan reflects the heart and hard work of our community through dedicated residents, our planning team, City staff, as well as Council. It truly took all of us to get to this day."  

AIM Norman will serve as a roadmap to provide essential guidance to Norman City officials and residents as the community plans for the coming decades. Crafted to evolve as the city develops, groundwork for the plan was led by a Steering Committee of 14 residents representing each city ward. The committee approved the plan unanimously in March, preceding approval from the Norman Planning Commission in May.

“This effort is the result of countless hours of research, debate, discussion, and compromise, which included the volunteers serving on the subcommittees for each master plan, our neighbors, community partners, the hardworking, dedicated city staff, and the consultants” said Inger Giuffrida, Steering Committee co-chair. “During the entire process we focused on four priorities: attainable, affordable housing for all Norman residents, protecting our invaluable water sources — Lake Thunderbird and the Garber-Wellington Aquifer, preserving and enhancing green space and wildlife habitat, and developing a comprehensive trail system connecting neighborhoods throughout our great city.”

Guiffrida further shared that with a focus on infill, mixed use, and higher density development, the plan will guide the city to develop responsibly, enhancing neighborhoods and preserving rural Norman.

“No one wants sprawl — the old way of developing,” she said. “This plan was designed to ensure we forego the easy strategies of building on wide open spaces and instead build more concentrated, mixed use neighborhoods focusing on infill and higher density development.”

Opportunities for community input throughout the process included nine open houses, 45 listening sessions, monthly surveys, 18 pop-up events, 19 public meetings across locations in Norman, and people contacting citizen volunteers directly that served on the steering committee and subcommittees.

The approved plan and other materials regarding the planning process are available at AimNorman.com.

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