This week’s blog was written by Club Y.E.S. volunteer Aneesh Sakrahalli.

The Plymouth Comprehensive Plan serves the City of Plymouth as a way to comprehend and plan for its future as a rapidly growing suburb. It guides community development and public improvements in the city, and every twenty years, the city is responsible for creating a new plan. Currently, the city of Plymouth has created the 2040 plan. Though the comprehensive plan is over 900 pages, I will summarize it the best I can.

As of 2019, the population of Plymouth is 78,134 people. In 2040, the population is predicted to be around 85,000 people. Although population growth is slowing down, Plymouth can still expect to see employment growth in the coming years, with the population likely becoming older and more diverse. Every four years or so, Plymouth will update its visions for the City inputted through community engagement. Current goals include, for example: maintain a safe and secure community, protect and enhance the natural environment, support high-quality education, etc. These vision statements indicate how well Plymouth is doing as a city.

Land use is a major element that Plymouth has to plan for. It needs to accurately predict how much residential or commercial land it needs in order for development to occur. Though detached homes are the most dominant housing type in Plymouth, the city strives to produce more options for people in all stages of their lifecycle. Commercial developments have been a strong area for the City, Plymouth has also deemed it essential to grow non-commercial uses through shifting land towards other uses.

The Plymouth Housing and Redevelopment Authority administers housing assistance programs in Plymouth. It has a goal to provide opportunities for affordable housing. However, the City’s affordable housing goals can be difficult to meet due to factors such as high land prices, inflationary pressure on building materials, and dwindling financial resources. Plymouth promotes stability and appreciation in housing values, and that is why Plymouth will provide new programs fostering housing maintenance in the near future.