Community Planning

The Community Planning Division of the Planning + Development Department assists Hamilton County and its communities, agencies and citizens in planning and achieving sustainable development and related community and regional goals.

Mission Statement

HCP+D Community Planning Division is engaged with the jurisdictions of Hamilton County to develop visions that are implemented through collaborative partnerships. We aspire to stay on the cutting edge of planning - technically (ArcGIS StoryMaps, etc.) and with new strategy tools (tactical urbanism, etc.) and maybe most importantly as experts in our knowledge of Hamilton County. We are driven by our planning ethics which call us to "seek social justice by working to expand choice and opportunity for all persons, recognizing a special responsibility to plan for the needs of the disadvantaged and to promote racial and economic integration." We continue to look for opportunities for jurisdictions to come together and plan for the betterment of the County.

Staff provides services, upon request, to county jurisdictions that are members of the Commission and pay annual fees. Our services are tied to annual work programs of the Board of County Commissioners, the Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission, the Planning Partnership, the First Suburbs Consortium of Southwest Ohio, and numerous other boards and commissions that are working to improve Hamilton County.

Some Examples of Our Partnership Work:

Mill Creek Alliance - The Mill Creek Alliance (MCA) is at the center of many of our multi-jurisdictional efforts in the County. The MCA is working on flood mitigation/restoration projects throughout the watershed. Associate Planner, Luke Ourednik is part of the Mill Creek Collaborative.

First Suburbs Consortium of Southwest Ohio - First Suburbs Consortium of Southwest Ohio (FSC-SWO) is an association of elected and appointed officials representing older suburban communities in Hamilton County, Ohio. Planning Services Administrator, Chris Schneider, serves as coordinator for the Consortium. The First Suburbs quarterly membership meetings play an important role in keeping participating jurisdictions aware of issues and opportunities in the County.

Model Zoning Code - The Model Zoning project was initiated by the Regional Planning Commission in 2021 with a draft version ready for review in January 2023. The Model Zoning Code was created to provide a standardized zoning code that is modern, simple to use, and provide consistency between jurisdictions. Using a standardized code can simplify and consolidate outdated codes and can make administering and enforcing the code easier and more accessible. Staff is working on implementing the Model Zoning Code in the Villages of North Bend and Fairfax. For more information on the Model Zoning Code please contact Chris Schneider.

Housing Action Plans

Hamilton County Planning, LISC, and Blume Community Partners are nearing the completion of 8 Housing Action Plans for communities across Hamilton County. The Housing our Future plans focused on creating individual housing strategies by customizing recommendations based on unique community and housing market characteristics and officially kicked off in 2021. Plans have been completed for Addyston, Cheviot, Deer Park, Golf Manor, Norwood, and Silverton. Plans for Forest Park and Lincoln Heights are in the final stages and will be completed soon.

The next phase of the housing action plans is just beginning. CBI, LISC, and Hamilton County are now revisiting each of the plans and coordinating with jurisdictions to implement the recommendations. For more information, please contact Chris Schneider.