City Departments

Planning Department

Comprehensive Plan

GASTONIA 2025: OUR PLACE IN THE FUTURE

On May 17, 2011, City Council adopted the 2025 Comprehensive Plan. The Plan is an evolving document that compiles information, community dialogue, and preferred public policy choices for the City, through the year 2025. The Plan establishes a vision for the City (as established by the citizens), and will guide policymakers as they make decisions about the physical, social, and economic development of the community.

The plan is organized in two major sections. The initial section lays out the context of Gastonia, with the chapters on Gastonia's community setting, growth & change, and development issues. The second section includes eleven chapters covering specific planning subjects, each with a series of goals and policies that encompass the future visions for the City. Each chapter describes the background and trends on a particular subject and outlines a set of major issues. The end of each chapter includes objectives to address the major issues, and specific tools that may be used to achieve the objective. While the plan's policy recommendations only directly addresses activities within City, the document considers and makes general recommendations regarding issues outside, but impacting, the growth and development for Gastonia.