MFA Celebrates National Community Planning Month

Site Redevelopment Planning

Every community has places with unrealized potential—underutilized parcels, vacant buildings, or sites burdened by contamination. Site redevelopment planning helps turn those properties into productive assets that drive economic vitality and reflect a community’s vision for the future.

Brownfield Revitalization

Cleaning up the past to make room for the future. Planners assess environmental conditions and coordinate cleanup strategies that prepare sites for safe, sustainable reuse, bridging remediation with reinvestment.

Reuse Visioning

Great planning starts with imagination. Planners work with stakeholders to envision new life for keystone sites such as former industrial zones, rail yards, or waterfronts. Through collaboration and community dialogue, they help shape shared visions that inspire action and attract investment.

Feasibility Studies

Before plans become projects, planners evaluate market demand, infrastructure capacity, and zoning compatibility. These insights help ensure redevelopment decisions are grounded in reality and aligned with community goals.

Master Planning

A master plan is where vision meets design and strategy meets action. Planners bring together land use, housing, transportation, open space, and community amenities into a cohesive framework that supports livability, sustainability, and economic opportunity.

But physical planning is only one part of the story. True resilience requires pairing design with strategy. That’s where economic development strategizing comes in.

Economic Development Strategizing

Planners work with communities to craft long-term strategies that strengthen local economies and build capacity for growth. By combining economic data with on-the-ground insight, they help communities make informed decisions that attract investment, create jobs, and support equitable development.

Economic Base Analysis

Understanding a community’s economic foundation starts with data. Planners study industry clusters, employment trends, and demographic shifts to identify opportunities for diversification and sustainable growth.

Target Industry Identification

By pinpointing sectors with strong potential for innovation, investment, and job creation, planners help communities focus their resources where they’ll have the greatest impact.

Resilience Planning

Planning for the future means preparing for change. Planners help communities diversify their economies and build resilience to emerging challenges—from automation to climate impacts—ensuring that growth remains adaptable and inclusive.

Grant Funding Acquisition Support

Even the best plans need resources to move from vision to implementation. Planners help communities secure funding to make their economic development initiatives a reality.

Grant Research & Strategy

Effective funding begins with strategy. Planners identify federal, state, and philanthropic funding sources aligned with local goals and project priorities. This early coordination helps communities target the most viable opportunities rather than chasing every available source.

Proposal Development

Planners write clear, compelling grant applications with defined objectives, measurable outcomes, and demonstrated community impact. Careful attention to detail and storytelling helps position projects for competitive funding success.

Compliance & Reporting

Once funding is awarded, planners support post-award management by tracking outcomes, maintaining compliance, and submitting required documentation to ensure long-term success.