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Council backs 'Innovate Arlington' name and readies public engagement for comprehensive plan
Summary
City staff and consultants briefed the council on the comprehensive plan process and a recommended name, 'Innovate Arlington.' Staff outlined public engagement events in March–April, steering committee activities and a scope of deliverables; council members expressed support to proceed with branding and outreach.
City planning staff and the MIG consultant team outlined the scope, schedule and community engagement plan for the city’s comprehensive plan update and the steering committee’s recommendation to brand the project “Innovate Arlington.”
John Chapman, Long Range Planning Manager, briefed council members on work completed since November, including a policy inventory, an existing-conditions atlas and steering-committee visioning. Chapman said the steering committee, internal stakeholders and city directors have met multiple times and that MIG will deliver public workshops and outreach materials during a March–April engagement window.
Chapman described a three-day workshop when the MIG team will be in town and a March 18 community meeting at the Downtown Arlington Library from 5:30–7:30 p.m. Staff also plans a sequence of district-level workshops, pop-up events in April, and a multilingual online questionnaire (English, Spanish, Vietnamese). Chapman said the project includes an online engagement portal at arlingtonlistens.com and an interactive open-data component tied to draft materials.
The steering committee reviewed 174 name suggestions submitted in a public survey and recommended Innovate Arlington; Chapman said the name received consistent high rankings from committee members. “The term innovate is very reflective of what we're already hearing,” Chapman said, and invited council confirmation so communications and branding work could begin.
Council members voiced support. “I love the name,” one councilmember said, and the mayor said the council would move forward with Innovate Arlington.
Ending: Staff will proceed with public workshops in March and April, produce outreach materials and return to council with subsequent plan milestones and deliverables; the public engagement portal and schedule will be posted on the city’s engagement site.
