Comment on the Comprehensive Plan Draft

Learn more about Comprehensive Plans, a summary of our community engagement efforts, and why we're focusing on racial equity.

View a snapshot of Gainesville, the City's strengths and challenges, followed by a short history of the City.

Local government bears a responsibility to improve communities and positively impact the lives of neighbors through laws, policies, and public investment. This responsibility is underscored by the reality that for the past century of American history, government at the federal, state, and local levels have played an instrumental role in establishing and reinforcing racial and economic disparities that are still experienced by neighbors in Gainesville today.  The City of Gainesville has begun to take important, incremental steps towards creating an organization focused on eliminating racial disparities in the community. 

One of the best ways to assess the cultural identity of a community is through their commitment to the arts, culture, and the preservation of its history. A community that does not know or respect its past cannot property build upon that past in a manner that is beneficial and comforting for its residents. The Cultural Affairs Division and the Department of Sustainable Development's Office of Historic Preservation have made recent advancements in preserving Black history and creating arts and cultural venues that serve Black neighbors, historically the largest minority population in the City.