Upper Arlington to issue master plan RFP this month; steering committee to include boards and commissions

City staff told council on June 9 that the city will issue a request for proposals to update Upper Arlington’s master plan late this month and expects consultant proposals back by early August.

The community development director (Director Gibson) said the RFP will be open roughly five weeks and that an internal committee will screen submittals before conducting interviews and selecting a consultant. "We have scheduled issuance of this request for a proposal at the June and then have it due, by August 4," Director Gibson said, describing a summer deadline for consultant responses.

The consultant will lead a process that staff said will include public engagement and coordination with a steering committee appointed by city council. Suggested participants include council, the Board of Zoning and Planning, the parks and recreation advisory board, and the city tree commission; staff also flagged a potential tree-canopy master plan as a related element. Gibson said the city’s prior long-range planning efforts — including the 2001 master plan and more recent studies — guided earlier redevelopment successes on Lane Avenue and Kingsdale.

Why it matters: a master plan sets a multi-year policy framework for land use, parks, transportation and neighborhood priorities. Council will later be asked to authorize the contract with the winning consultant after staff completes evaluation and interviews.

Next steps: staff will issue the RFP at the end of June, evaluate responses after the August deadline, conduct interviews of finalists, and begin the public-engagement phase with the selected consultant in 2026.