Envision Our Chicopee: 2040

An award-winning comprehensive plan that will help Chicopee, Massachusetts, shape a healthier, more vibrant, and resilient future!

Opportunity

Chicopee has a proud industrial history, strong neighborhoods, historic buildings, and growing parks and recreation amenities. But until this effort, the city never adopted a Comprehensive Plan. Envision Our Chicopee: 2040 gives the community a long-term roadmap for sustainable growth, economic opportunity, and quality of life.

Solution

Horsley Witten Group led the planning process in partnership with the City of Chicopee, municipal staff, a volunteer steering committee, and community members. We led a Comprehensive Plan update that started only months before the pandemic, forcing our team to rethink the approach to the project and commit to a longer process than expected. Despite these challenges, our team managed to execute an intensive engagement process and create a plan that truly reflects the values communicated to us over the course of the project. Deliverables included a standalone Action Plan and comprehensive local regulatory audit.

Results

Envision Our Chicopee: 2040 received the 2025 Comprehensive Planning Award from the American Planning Association Massachusetts Chapter, honoring the plan’s innovation, quality, and impact.