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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This plan presents a strategic vision to guide the evolution of Blacksburg’s Downtown into the years ahead. Rooted in community input and analysis, the plan provides a blueprint for action through policy, capital improvements, and development that advance community priorities. Three Key Factors to Hold in Balance There are three key factors that Blacksburg must balance as it looks to Downtown’s future. The first factor is the importance of preserving and celebrating Blacksburg’s identity, as expressed through its architecture, its public realm, and its parks and open spaces. A place’s identity can be difficult to define, but is central to what helps to draw people to a community and keep them in town. It is important to celebrate this character, but also to balance that goal with other priorities of the community. The second factor is the strategic need to accommodate Blacksburg’s growth. The town’s population and economic growth, driven in large part A STRATEG I C PLAN FOR DOWNTOWN BLACKSBURG All communities must continually plan and adapt for changing times and circumstances. This is especially true for Blacksburg’s Downtown, a historic center of the community and a part of town facing new challenges and exciting opportunities.

by Virginia Tech and its future investments in the Creativity and Innovation District abutting Downtown, present a great opportunity for Blacksburg to diversify and expand its economy. But seizing this strategic opportunity will require a holistic approach to development, facilitating needed residential and commercial development in appropriate locations. The third key factor is the community’s desire to maintain housing affordability. The demand from the growing student population, coupled with a reluctance to allow greater density of residential development attracting students, have led to rising housing prices that are increasingly unaffordable to working and professional families, particularly in locations close to Downtown. Resolving this challenge will relieve pressure on Downtown’s surrounding neighborhoods, and further help to address traffic concerns in town, while ensuring that Blacksburg remains an inclusive and accessible community for current residents and for those who would like to be a part of it. This strategic plan offers an actionable framework that balances these three key factors in service of creating a vibrant, equitable, and distinct Downtown. The plan is organized into six chapters that describe this strategic vision: Process: Community Input Chapter 1 summarizes the process of community input, and highlights takeaways about Downtown Blacksburg’s challenges and opportunities. These community conversations and the feedback provided through online surveys also helped to define the vision that this Strategic Plan aims to bring to life.

1 Downtown Blacksburg Strategic Plan