Comprehensive Planning

Innovative strategies for community planning

Our comprehensive planning team provides technical, project management, and community engagement expertise for local governments in Maine to embark on the exciting challenge of developing the long-term vision for their communities’ futures—as well as the policy roadmap to reach that future.

We partner with clients to engage their community, review and analyze existing conditions, and review best practices, leading to a well-defined action plan created in collaboration with the community and through a lens of equity and inclusion.

Guidance and support from visioning to implementation

Our experienced team of comprehensive planning consultants works with you from start to finish, beginning with visioning, continuing with policy development, and all the way through implementation and beyond.

Visioning, assessment, and engagement

Policy development and zoning

Community plan implementation

Visioning, assessment, and engagement

Using our team’s blend of local and national planning expertise, our firsthand experience leading municipal planning and development departments as public-sector employees, and our commitment to best practices, we will help you articulate a compelling vision for your community’s future that reflects the values and goals of the community.

Current conditions assessment

We begin with an inventory of community assets and analysis of challenges, demographics, environment, and economy of the community.

Fiscal capacity

Our fiscal capacity analysis baselines revenue generation potential of current land use and estimates additional revenue generation of new development.

Visioning

We help you build consensus and envision a future that reflects the values and goals of the community, and then develop an action plan to bring it to life.

Community engagement

We help you design a robust and inclusive engagement strategy to connect with constituents, prioritize needs, and build consensus to create a shared community vision for the future.

Policy development and zoning

Once you know where you want to go, you’ll need to address issues like population growth, housing, economic development, community empowerment, environmental stewardship, and more. We partner with you to develop the framework around which your plan will be created.

Policy development

We help you develop the policies to create and sustain your vision using our national perspective and taking into account best practices and local legislation.

Land use and zoning analysis

We partner with you to thoroughly analyze land use and current zoning to inform the development of zoning decisions that support your comprehensive plan.

Legislative analysis

We review local and state policies, if applicable, to help ensure that your comprehensive plan complies and aligns.

Community plan implementation

We develop action plans, timelines, and KPls necessary to bring your plan to life. Based on best practices and the input of stakeholders, we help develop and support an implementation agenda to bring vision to reality with an understanding of existing resources, state and local compliance, and in coordination with the municipality’s fiscal planning.

Benefits of comprehensive planning with BerryDunn

Public sector experience

Our AICP-certified planners have the firsthand experience to be able to balance real-world solutions with long-term innovation.

Commitment to quality

We combine our deep expertise with a collaborative, flexible, and customized approach focused on our clients’ needs.

Project management, leadership, and organizational skills

Our team has the project management credentials and experience to be able to successfully manage resources, in relation to both budget and stakeholder time.

Breadth of project exposure

Our national perspective is balanced with on-the-ground accessibility. We take lessons learned from previous work as well as new insights to make the most of resources while challenging clients to think bigger.

What to expect at BerryDunn

Focused on inspiring organizations to transform and innovate, BerryDunn’s Local Government Practice Group can help you solve your biggest community challenges.

Our comprehensive planning team includes planners certified by the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), experts in project management, and skilled community engagement facilitators. You can depend on our team’s blend of local and national planning expertise, our firsthand experience leading municipal planning and development departments as public-sector employees, and our commitment to best practices.