In 2003, the Lowell City Council endorsed the City’s first Comprehensive Master Plan in 30 years. Prepared by the City’s Division of Planning and Development and approved by the Lowell Planning Board, this plan was created to both serve as the “framework for development over the next 20 years and to establish a comprehensive and shared vision for the future.”

While the Plan has effectively guided the City’s development plans and strategy and this vision remains salient for Lowell, much has changed both locally and regionally in the years since its release. The Hamilton Canal District development is well underway and the University is expanding. Simultaneously, the housing bubble has burst, unemployment rates have risen, and new challenges are emerging.  In order for the City of Lowell to continue to plan for the opportunities and challenges that may arise, it is important to update the Master Plan from time to time, as DPD will in 2011-2012. 

The most significant change that has occurred since 2003 is the emergence of sustainability as a seminal factor impacting nearly all aspects of society and the economy nationally and locally.  Although the original Master Plan included a chapter on sustainability, the entire updated plan will place greater emphasis on environmental, economic, and social sustainability.  By updating its original Master Plan from a sustainability perspective, the City of Lowell will seek to better meet local, regional and global needs and to ensure that resources are fairly distributed for current and future generations. Lowell will practice responsible planning that protects and promotes its physical environment, supports a vibrant economy, and values its rich historical roots while adapting to the changing cultural demographics of the city.

Timeline

Survey

Meetings

Reports

Presentations

Community PlanIt

Lowell Sustainability Week

Sustainability Snapshots Photography Contest

Comment on the original Master Plan

Primary Contact:

Allegra Williams
Neighborhood Planner
Department of Planning and Development
Phone: (978) 446-7200

_{Photograph courtesy of Tony Sampas.}