Full draft of the Vision 2034 Comprehensive Plan now available here
Share your feedback by emailing Esther at City Plan erosewilen@newhavenct.gov or
join us on Zoom on June 18th at 7pm for a presentation and discussion of the draft plan with the New Haven City Plan Commission. More information here.
Vision 2034 is a blueprint of the city's vision for the future, and a policy guide for achieving planning goals. It serves as a decision-making guide for residents, community leaders, and government officials in matters relating to land use, housing, transportation, sustainability, economic development, neighborhood planning, public investments, and capital improvement programs. Stay updated here.
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New Haven Celebrates
Pride Month
The City of New Haven celebrated Pride Month with a flag-raising ceremony on June 1st, bringing together community members, local leaders, and LGBTQ+ advocates on the steps of City Hall.
As Pride is celebrated across the country, it's worth remembering that Connecticut has long been a pioneer in LGBTQ+ rights, legalizing same-sex marriage in 2008, seven years before it became law nationwide. New Haven continues to lead by example, earning a perfect score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign’s 2023 Municipal Equality Index, which evaluates cities on their commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusivity, policies, and services. This month, and every month, we celebrate our progress and reaffirm our commitment to an inclusive community.
For more information about Pride Month events in and around New Haven, connect with the New Haven Pride Center at their offices at 50 Orange St., or on their social media.
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Congrats Outgoing Interm My'Sahn
We are celebrating City Plan intern My'Sahn West as he departs for college soon! Here's a message from My'Sahn:
"Hey, my name is My’Sahn and I am an intern with City Plan. I’m currently a senior at High School in the Community and recently decided that I’ll be spending the next four years at Temple University. I picked Temple mainly because of its location and the study abroad opportunities. It’s in Philadelphia, which is only about three and a half hours from New Haven, not too close, but not too far either. I applied to nine schools, most of them out of state, and just one in Connecticut. But honestly, staying in Connecticut was never really something I wanted. One of the coolest things about Temple is that it has campuses in Japan, Italy, and Spain, and I actually plan to study at all three while I’m there. I’ll be majoring in Community Development, and what I’m most excited about is getting to live in a new city and figuring out more about who I am in a totally different environment."
Congratulations and THANK YOU to My'Sahn! We appreciate you.
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Welcome Intern Kese Thomas
We are also excited to introduce Kese Thomas, a dedicated intern on our City Plan team, who joined us this past January and will be with us through August.
Kese is a Financial Economics student at Columbia University with a passion for creating equitable societies. He is especially interested in how city planning fosters community well-being. In addition to interning with City Plan, Kese serves on the board of a youth-focused nonprofit, The Bree Wingate Foundation. He also has a passion for philanthropy, food, and the arts.
Kese has been providing art direction and editorial work for Vision 2034, and will be helping with projects in and around the Mill River area, among other work. If you see Kese around New Haven or City Hall, be sure to say "hi"!
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Opening Reception for Adult & Continuing Education Center Student Art Show - June 11 at City Hall
Join us on Wednesday, June 11, at 5pm in the City Hall Atrium to celebrate New Haven Adult & Continuing Education Center students who created visual art capturing their visions for New Haven's future. Thanks to our friends at Studio Haven/Department of Arts, Culture, and Tourism for making this happen!
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Local Historic District Workshop Recaps
Over the last couple of months, Fatima Cecunjanin, Senior Project Manager at City Plan, organized educational workshops for New Haven’s Local Historic Districts with support from many community partners including the New Haven Preservation Trust, City Historian Michael Morand, Chris Wigren from Preservation Connecticut, and Barbara Lamb and Sarah Greenblatt from the Historic Wooster Square Association.
The workshops were a great opportunity for neighbors to meet and discuss what it means to live in a historic district, and a chance for them to interact with and ask questions of HDC commissioners, preservationists, and historians. It was also an opportunity to share resources that are available from SHPO and the New Haven Preservation Trust for property owners of Historic Structures to preserve and maintain their homes. You'll find resources here.
Major kudos are owed to HDC Chair Trina Learned for assisting with content development and presentation of workshop materials, as well as HDC Commissioners Karen Jenkins, David Valentino, Cordalie Benoit, and Michael Waters for assisting with organizing, presenting, and everything in between! Also, big thanks to Fair Haven Library, The Sound School, and Conte West Hills Magnet School for letting us use their excellent facilities! And finally thank you to Alders Carmen Rodriguez, Rosa Santana, Sarah Miller and Ellen Cupo for spreading the word to their constituents and advocating for these workshops to happen!
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New Segment of Farmington Canal Open!
On May 9, New Haven celebrated the completion of the final 1.6-mile stretch of the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Grove Street entrance.
The new segment and its entrance - which includes the interpretive signage shown in the photo on the right - can be accessed at the intersection of Orange and Grove Streets near Sitar Indian Restaurant.
Despite the rain, the event was attended by Mayor Justin Elicker, U.S. Representative for Connecticut Rosa DeLauro, Connecticut Department of Transportation Deputy Commissioner Laoise King, City Plan Director Laura Brown, and many community advocates. Read more in the New Haven Independent here.
The trail connects the Canal Dock Boathouse to downtown and Long Wharf, completing the city’s 4.5-mile portion of an 84-mile greenway extending to Massachusetts—and forming part of the East Coast Greenway from Maine to Florida. A new infrared counter has been installed under the State Street Garage ramp as part of the Connecticut Trail Census. Staff will also conduct ongoing manual counts, supporting long-term data collection and planning.
This milestone improves downtown access for cyclists and pedestrians, advancing New Haven’s goals for sustainable, connected transportation. After decades of planning, this visionary project is now a reality, built to benefit the community for generations.
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Engineering and City Plan Collaborate on Trails Working Group
Speaking of trails, here’s a peek behind the curtain at the City: the City Plan and Engineering Departments have been meeting regularly over the last few months to brainstorm and begin updating New Haven’s 2004 "Plan for Greenways and Cycling System."
Since 2004, some portions of the proposed trails have been built, others are in progress, and some plans have evolved. Particularly with new funding received by Engineering to extend two separate portions of the Mill River Trail - including this portion in Fair Haven - there's fresh energy and excitement to think structurally and comprehensively about all of New Haven's separated trails.
Staff from Engineering and City Plan went on a two-hour walking tour (see picture above) to explore one new section that would extend from Orange Street at Wilbur Cross High School, run along the water, run under Willow St., and eventually land near the Mill River again near the Ralph Walker Skating Rink. The tour served as a reminder of how much more accessible nature can be with thoughtful investment and planning, especially in urban environments.
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City Plan's Notes from APA National Planning Conference
City Plan staff attended the virtual National Planning Conference from the American Planning Association in late May. Topics included how to plan for and build resiliency for the impacts of climate change, reconnecting neighborhoods split by transportation infrastructure, reimagining the role of urban planning, equity in the practice of planning, universal design in housing and transportation, and more!
City Plan staff then debriefed following the conference to talk about connecting with other practitioners across the state and the county and how to incorporate what we learned into our work. As planners, our learning is never over. As technology, society, and the needs of our community change, so must we, and this conference was just one way we keep engaged and informed about how specifically to challenge our thinking and grow our understanding.
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