The City of Fredericton is growing. Due to its stable economy and high quality of life, projections show that the city will grow from 53,600 residents in 2011 to at least 81,000 and as many as 93,600 by 2041. In order to plan wisely for this growth, the City of Fredericton and Urban Strategies Inc. initiated Imagine Fredericton, a multifaceted planning initiative and community-wide conversation about how the city should grow over the next 25 years. The outcomes of the initiative were a Growth Strategy and Municipal Plan, together forming the first new comprehensive plan for the city in a generation. The overarching goal of the strategy was to ensure that Fredericton grows in ways that are environmentally and economically sustainable and that the city continues to provide a high quality of life for all existing and future citizens.
The Growth Strategy and Municipal Plan were created through an inclusive, innovative, and diverse public consultation process. Working with Frederictonians, businesses, and municipal staff to invite their input ensured that the Growth Strategy reflected the community’s values, aspirations and ideas. From public Open House events, to informal engagement activities organized at the Imagination Station (a shipping container that acted as project headquarters), to a digital ecosystem of a project blog, social media presence, and Community Compass® surveys, there were multiple ways to provide input into the planning of Fredericton’s future. Through extensive analyses and regular conversations with the community, key stakeholders and close collaboration with City Staff, the planned evolution of Fredericton is grounded in an in-depth understanding of existing conditions and community values.