Originally published on November 25, 2022, by Mindy Wood for The Norman Transcript.

As the Norman community braces for more population growth and changes to its transportation infrastructure, the Norman City Council is taking a long-range view of what the future should be for zoning and economic development.

Strong Towns will soon launch a community partnership for better zoning that facilitates a stronger local economy after the city council approved a contract with the organization in late November.

The $145,875 contract will converge with other planning initiatives the council will oversee in the coming years.

In May, the council agreed to hire a consultant to tackle the city’s outdated Comprehensive Land Use and Transportation Master Plans.

It is expected to take two years to complete a report on the overhaul of zoning and land use ordinances, City Manager Darrel Pyle told The Transcript in July.

Staff applied to Strong Towns to be chosen for its Community Action Lab after Ward 8’s Matt Peacock won support for it during the council’s July goal-setting retreat.

Peacock said this week that the timing could not be more important to bring on the organization in the face of such change in Norman.

Congrats to Matt Peacock, Jane Hudson, Stephen Tyler Holman, and the many #ULIok members who made this partnership come to fruition!