'Plan Spartanburg' to become nation's first citywide comprehensive plan with racial equity as guiding principle

It's not the easiest route to satisfy a state requirement, but here at the City of Spartanburg, we don't shy away from big challenges and we're never afraid to be innovators. That's why when discussions around racial equity in our community were given new urgency on the heels of data shared from USC-Upstate's Metropolitan Studies Institute in their 2018 Spartanburg Racial Equity Index showing large racial disparities in practically every area of our residents' lives, our City Council and City Staff understood that in order to do our part to correct those imbalances, our City's most important guiding development document should reflect our commitment to ending those disparities and increasing racial equity for our residents. It was with that in mind that the nation's first citywide comprehensive planning process focused around racial equity was born. Created with the help of those who call Spartanburg home, Plan Spartanburg will ultimately guide the city's growth for the next decade to come, and will have an impact long after that, informing strategies on areas as wide-ranging housing, economics, health and wellness, parks and recreation, public facilities, infrastructure, traffic, and the overall livability of Spartanburg for its residents. Listen below for more, and be sure to visit the Plan Spartanburg website to sign up and attend our virtual Planapalooza events coming up Oct. 22-26, and let us know your ideas for Spartanburg's future!