Commission discusses consultant work to improve comp‑plan navigation and graphics

City planning staff told the commission on July 15 that the planning department has hired a consultant to improve the comprehensive plan’s formatting and online navigation. The consultant will add photos, graphics and “wayfinders” to help users jump between chapters and find cross‑referenced material. Why it matters: Commissioners said clearer cross‑referencing and easier navigation will help when they explain draft plan elements to the public and will reduce confusion about population and housing numbers appearing in different chapters. Staff described current deliverables as mockups that are not the final product and said the consultant’s initial work focuses on chapter templates and example photography. A staff member said the “wayfinders” will let readers move from one chapter to another and that the consultant is considering icons or tags that indicate how a policy advances particular goals (for example, transportation, affordable housing or greenhouse‑gas reduction). Commissioners requested that the digital plan include hyperlinks or asterisks to connect data that appear in multiple chapters — for example, population figures that support housing need calculations in another chapter. Clayton, a staff member, confirmed the wayfinders will support navigation between chapters but said linking to specific data fields was not currently in the consultant’s scope; staff said they will ask the consultant about the extra work and report back. Discussion versus decision: This was an informational update; no formatting or scope changes were approved at the July 15 meeting. Staff asked commissioners to submit written comments in advance when possible so consultants can incorporate board feedback between meetings. Ending: Staff said they will circulate mockups and confirm whether chapter‑level hyperlinks can be added to the consultant’s scope before the next packet is issued.