Click here to download the Executive Summary
(1.3 MB  |  Adobe Acrobat PDF)

Click here to download full report
(10.7 MB  |  Adobe Acrobat PDF)

NOTE: Some users (modem users in particular) may prefer to download the file prior to viewing. To do so right-click the download link and choose to "Save Target As" or "Save Link As". Once the file has downloaded, open it in Adobe Acrobat.

We are pleased to transmit the Hamilton County 2030 Plan and Implementation Framework. This master plan for our interconnected communities provides Hamilton County, local government, business, non-profit organizations, and the citizens of our county with a comprehensive framework for achieving The Vision for Hamilton County’s Future, which was approved by the Board of County Commissioners on November 26, 2003. The 2030 plan culminates the visioning, planning, and comprehensive research phase of Community COMPASS and enables a disciplined plan of action to begin.

For over two years we have conducted research into the state of the county, the strategic vision for our future, and action campaigns for getting there. We have listened to the people of Hamilton County at public meetings, workshops, and over the internet. Your community’s involvement in this comprehensive planning effort has already led to more than a dozen awards—including three state awards, ten national awards, and an international award.

In the 2030 plan we share what we have learned about the dreams, the challenges, and the opportunities facing Hamilton County as well as recommended actions to achieve our collective vision. To implement the twelve elements of Hamilton County’s Vision, the 2030 plan identifies:

• initiatives, strategies, and priorities
• implementation campaigns, actions, and status
• concept plans for land use, transportation, and greenspace
• policies for intergovernmental collaboration
• key indicators for measuring progress

An important feature of Hamilton County’s unique implementation framework is its focus on increasing community accountability. The 2030 Plan and Implementation Framework creates a structure for building a community of accountability where citizens, planning commissioners, and organization leaders (in civic, private, and public sectors) take greater personal and communal responsibility for the well being of the whole community—the whole County.

In this way, the plan calls for some shift in leadership and implementation commitment towards associations, and associations of associations, rather than total dependence on traditional players, such as professional or expert agencies and government leaders. Some examples of potential implementation partners include: the Planning Partnership, the First Suburbs Consortium, the Green Umbrella, Citizens for Civic Renewal, Leadership Cincinnati, OKI Regional Council of Governments, Hamilton County Caucus of OKI Representatives, AMOS, League of Women Voters, Municipal League, Township Association, and Greater Ohio. Critical implementation commitments will still be needed from Hamilton County and local governments; but they alone will not be able to achieve the collective vision for Hamilton County’s future as identified by our community.

In this framework for implementation of Hamilton County’s vision, the untapped potential of volunteer planning commissions that already exist in our 49 local governments can also serve an increasingly important role.

The shift in accountability and leadership is necessary for substantial change and progress toward Hamilton County’s goals, since traditional players are often system constrained and mandate reactive. As a result, public service demand often exceeds capacity. Hamilton County’s implementation framework augments the traditional implementation system by organizing around the strength of proactive associations, citizens, neighborhoods, and communities. The professional and system agencies are obviously needed as conveners and participants, and for technical support; but the shift in accountability toward citizens and associations is what will enable our community to move away from excessive “government leader dependence” for solutions (and blame for problems) and the related destructive culture of citizen entitlement and passivity. Reduction of dependence on government through greater citizen accountability will lead to greater implementation potential as well as lower tax burden.

We are already making progress. Hamilton County’s implementation progress and partner commitments related to over 100 action strategies are summarized in Section 2 of the 2030 Plan and Implementation Framework—including more than 40 specific implementation actions already initiated by HCRPC/Planning Partnership.

The 2030 Plan and Implementation Framework is now available on our website at www.communitycompass.org and is being delivered to all township and municipal offices in compact disc format. A complimentary printed copy is also available for each jurisdiction member of RPC/Planning Partnership. Additional printed copies of the 2030 plan (a 250 page document in a binder) are available from RPC at $15.00 per copy. Printed copies of the state of the county report (a 500 page color document in a binder) are available at $60.00 per copy. The attached list identifies Community COMPASS reports included on the compact disc, and available on the website or from RPC.

If you would like to have this matter presented to your governing body or planning commission, please contact Ron Miller at 946-4453 or ron.miller@hamilton-co.org.

We look forward to your review, recommendations, and partnership in shaping a final plan and related implementation campaigns that will achieve The Vision for Hamilton County’s Future.