Over the past 10 years the Community Planning Services Program (formerly known as Community Planning Grants) has helped Cuyahoga County’s communities actively plan for their future. In 2025 County Planning is celebrating this anniversary by highlighting our planning work through this program as well as the impact it has had for communities.
In 2014, over half the communities in Cuyahoga County either had never conducted a master plan or had one that was more than 10 years old. To help address this need for long-term planning in the County, the Cuyahoga County Department of Development entered into agreement with County Planning to provide $150,000 for professional planning services to create community master plans. That initial agreement funded three master plans through a competitive application process.
Following the initial program, County Planning began to contract directly with communities, first to develop master plans and later to include other planning services such as zoning updates, commercial corridor plans, park plans, and much more. The program, now called the Community Planning Services Program, offers in-kind professional planning services by County Planning and has produced 18 Master Plans as well as 16 other local planning projects.
Over the next year, County Planning will be celebrating the success of this program over its first 10 years. This will include highlighting our investment in local communities, our growth as a planning agency, the impact of these services, and the successes of local communities in implementing their plans. We will also look forward to the future of the program and the role it can play in helping communities plan for and reach their desired futures.
Watch this space for highlights, reports, and other content that celebrates the great work of County Planning and the amazing communities we have worked with through this program.
Celebrating the Community Planning Services Program
Highlights of the Community Planning Services Program, including a history of the program, investment of our services, and growth of our staff
Community Feedback
As we continue to celebrate the Community Planning Services Program, we surveyed participating communities to learn about their experiences and understand the value these plans have provided. The response was overwhelmingly positive, as more than half of the communities said their plan effects their work on a daily basis. Additionally, 88% of responding communities stated that their plan has been “Extremely Valuable” or “Very Valuable” to their communities. The communities also valued the organized, collaborative process provided by County Planning and the amount of public engagement. The response highlights demonstrate how communities have benefited from planning projects completed through the CPSP. We will further explore the value of these plans through follow up interviews and deep dives into successful projects.
Contact Us
If you have questions about the history of the Community Planning Services Program, please contact Micah Stryker, AICP, Senior Planner.