A New Plan for Mobile: An Urban Planning, Design, & Economic Development Plan

Welcome to the “New Plan for Mobile” visioning process information site! We are pleased that you have decided to be involved in this inclusive, consensus-based planning process developed to craft a fresh, new vision for improving Downtown Mobile and the surrounding Midtown neighborhoods.

Outlined below are a series of introductory questions and answers that may come to mind as you visit this site. Throughout the public planning process we will be updating this page with new information that is prepared.

Why do we need a New Plan for Mobile?

The last master plan update for Mobile was prepared in 1996 and many of the initiatives have been completed or are no longer applicable to current conditions in the City. It is standard planning practice for a Master Plan to be reviewed and updated every 10 to 15 years to keep pace with new market, neighborhood and government conditions as well as advancements in technological, environmental, transportation and land-use planning.

Mobile is well positioned for both physical and economic growth over the next 10 years and as stated in the Mayor’s Transition Task Force Report,

" …The City of Mobile should become the leading business and cultural community in the State of Alabama in order to be nationally recognized as the regional center for economic growth and quality lifestyle along the northern Gulf Coast. A vibrant, culturally diverse, residentially and commercially desirable downtown area core is critical to having the City of Mobile achieve this goal. We must build upon the energy and success of our immediate past and stand upon our 300 years of coastal heritage to move forward together."

To succeed at this goal, the City and its citizenry, businesses, property owners and industries must prepare a new guiding plan that provides direction for strategic public and private investments that will continue to foster growth in Mobile’s downtown business and neighborhood core.
back to top

What is the New Plan for Mobile initiative?

The “New Plan for Mobile”, hereinafter referred to as “The Mobile Master Plan” or just “The Plan”, is expected to be an extensive and forthright assessment of the potential and liabilities of Mobile’s continued development for the next 10 to 15 years. By its very name, the Mobile Master Plan will focus on both public realm enhancement (“urban design”) of the Downtown core and neighborhoods while also serving as a marketing tool for attracting new private sector investment (“economic development”). The City especially desires a focus on areas of the Downtown and neighborhoods which have been overlooked in Mobile’s rediscovery period. The City, private sector interests and others will utilize this plan in marketing properties and attracting investment in the Downtown core and adjacent neighborhoods.

The Plan will define a common Community vision, one which will include a series of creative design principles, strategies and innovative site development concepts that carefully build upon the City’s maritime orientation, architectural heritage, cultural mix, industrial economy and the southern quality of life that Mobile residents enjoy. The Plan will also serve to unify, enhance and give equal attention to the overall Downtown core and Midtown areas from the north and south neighborhoods, to the surrounding industries, the ongoing revitalization of the historic commercial corridors to the west and the Mobile riverfront to the east. The New Plan for Mobile will focus on creating development strategies and initiatives for optimizing:

• future land use,
• land-based and water-based visitor experience,
• transportation network,
• heritage of the Community,
• equity in community resources,
• linking public realm amenities, and
leverage between public spending and private investment.

These strategies will be an outgrowth of the public planning process.
back to top

Who is working on the New Plan for Mobile?

The City of Mobile has contracted the services of EDSA, Inc. (Note: include web link) a nationally renowned and highly qualified planning-research-design consultant team with considerable experience in citizen involvement/participation, visioning, planning, community design, market analysis, and sustainability, to develop a new plan for the Downtown and its adjoining neighborhoods.

The EDSA Team is composed of the following specialized consultant team members listed below:

What will be included in the New Plan for Mobile?

The New Plan for Mobile will document and build on the accomplishments from past planning exercises, while also setting new directions for the Downtown core and surrounding neighborhood areas to follow in the future. The consultant team will accomplish the effort through two major “Phases”, an Orientation Phase and a Plan Formulation Phase. The plan and supporting strategies will be developed through a nine (9) step planning process including; 1) research and observation, 2) public participation, 3) physical analysis of current conditions, 4) market analysis, 5) transportation, parking and infrastructure improvements 6) creating options for economic development and public enhancement, 7) sifting and choosing plan options, 8) setting priorities, implementation strategies and development tools and 9) plan documentation and communication. Key activities will include:

An assessment of current conditions and assets of the community,
Documentation and celebration of accomplishments since the 1996 Downtown Revisioning and Plan Update and subsequent Parking Studies,
Development of more detailed/specific planning for key underutilized focus areas of the Downtown Core, Waterfront and the Midtown Neighborhood corridors
Identification of potential opportunities for environmental enhancements, new development and redevelopment,
Development of Advisory Committee consensus on which directions to pursue,
Provision of strategies for achieving the desired initiatives, and
The design of an action and implementation plan to accomplish the strategies.

The Urban Design and Economic Development Plan and supporting strategies will be crafted through an open public planning process involving the citizens, businesses, property owners and officials of Mobile, as well as City resource people. The Plan will focus on four key topic areas including; 1) urban design, neighborhood conservation and public realm enhancements, 2) economic development, market feasibility, business retention and financial implementation, 3) historical resources and cultural heritage and 4) transportation, parking and infrastructure. The entire public planning process is forecasted to be completed by September 2008.
back to top

How will the Plan be accomplished?

At the core of a successful urban planning and economic development strategy is the need for community buy-in as well as financial, economic, and market feasibility. The EDSA Team believes that it is very important to understand from the beginning of the project: 1) public and private mechanisms, including funding sources that are available; 2) financial and organizational commitments that have already been made; and 3) other outside revenue resources that can be identified. In addition, it is critical to establish a definitive role for public and private entities to play that will ensure the accomplishment of all goals set forth by the community in recent planning and design studies as well as future public meetings. Understanding what initiatives can be headed or coordinated by the various public, private and non-profit entities will provide a strong basis for success within Mobile.
back to top

What areas are included in the New Plan for Mobile and how will they be structured?

Previous plans for downtown Mobile have been largely focused on areas inside the Hank Aaron loop with some planning done for both the Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue and Broad Street corridors. However, this New Plan for Mobile will take a different approach, focusing on a much larger nine (9) square mile area including the downtown core, waterfront and the surrounding Midtown neighborhoods. The EDSA Team and City representatives have divided the overall Downtown & Midtown study area into three geographic zones to better facilitate the public participation process and develop area plans that are weighted to address either; Downtown core, waterfront, neighborhood or commercial corridor issues that vary in each area. The boundaries for each of the study zones are outlined below:

Zone 1 – Includes The Downtown Core & Waterfront Area Plan – Mobile Waterfront, Downtown Core, DeTonti Square District, Lower Dauphin District, Church Street East District as well as The Midtown West Commercial Corridors Plan – Oakleigh Garden District, Leinkauf District and Old Dauphin Way District (three (3) commercial corridors).
Zone 2 - The Midtown North Neighborhood and Corridors Plan -  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, St. Stephens Road and Beauregard Street Neighborhood(s) area
Zone 3 - The Midtown South Neighborhoods & Corridors Plan – Michigan Avenue, Virginia Street, Broad Street and Washington Avenue Neighborhood area, Oakdale Neighborhood, Maysville Neighborhood

Download Satellite Map and Zone Meeting Schedule

How does the plan involve or affect me?

By the end of the planning process, the final plan product will truly be a plan and strategy developed and understood by local leaders and the Community, with the help of the Consultant Team. It is essential that all City leaders, staff, property owners, business owners and residents participate in and take ownership of the implementation strategy. We will enable community and stakeholder involvement for both the Downtown core and Midtown neighborhoods through interviews, work sessions and Town Hall meetings. We expect a well attended public participation process involving key community leaders, property owners, elected officials and local residents. The City of Mobile will have a significant role in the overall communications and logistics for the public participation. The client and community participation process is designed to gather meaningful input and communication between the stakeholders and the Consultant Team through informational interviews, strategically planned meetings, and the joint development and implementation of marketing and management initiatives.
back to top

How and when do I participate in the plan?

During the week of March 10th, 2008, the EDSA Team will facilitate the first round of evening, public work sessions, for each of the three study area zones, with interested members of selected groups including, but not limited to; local business association members, local civic groups, concerned citizens, government representatives, etc. These sessions will be the forums for introducing citizens, businesses and property owners to the EDSA consultant team, the planning study and the proposed Downtown and Neighborhood planning processes. After an initial introductory presentation, EDSA Team members will pair up with City staff representatives to conduct smaller topic oriented break-out group sessions with participants to allow for as much interaction as possible. A public input survey will also be provided for participants to record their thoughts for the Team’s use.
back to top

What is the purpose of the Public Work Sessions?

The primary purpose of the approaching work session week in March is to receive input from you, a City stakeholder, regarding the Mobile Urban Design and Economic Development Strategy. The EDSA Team believes that building majority consensus among the City’s resident, business and government stakeholders on the direction that should be taken to conserve, preserve and strengthen the Downtown Core and surrounding residential neighborhoods is critical to any future successful planning and redevelopment activities. Before we can begin planning for the City’s enhancement, preservation, conservation, sensitive development and long-term sustainability, we must first understand what the City majority wants the area to become in the future.
back to top