To the Editor:

We write to thank everyone who has taken the time to respond to the Princeton Consumer Survey, the first of several opportunities for public participation in the Princeton Community Master Plan. With more than 3,500 responses, three-quarters of which have come from residents, participation has exceeded the expectations of our consultants and of the Master Planning Steering Committee, a volunteer group of Princeton residents, and the Master Plan Subcommittee of the Planning Board. The survey will be live through next week at princetonsurvey.org.

To be clear, this survey was designed to be consumer-focused and its results will inform a broader analysis about how residents, visitors, employees, students, and others spend in Princeton and how they would like to spend. As such, the survey does not touch on public fiscal policy matters, which are the purview of our elected officials, both municipal and schools.

Although work on the Economic Development Element of the Master Plan proceeded first, that work will not necessarily influence work on other elements of the plan, which include Land Use, Open Space and Recreation/Conservation, Mobility, Utility Services, Community Facilities, and Historic Preservation. (The Housing and Green Building and Sustainability elements adopted in 2020 will be included and incorporated into all elements of the plan.) Creating the Princeton Community Master Plan is not a sequential process; the elements are discreet yet interconnected.

Each element of this new plan will be the subject of robust public engagement utilizing a variety of communications tools. When the Steering Committee reconvenes later this month, it will review strategies to ensure that all voices are heard in the master planning process. These strategies include an online engagement hub, in person and virtual public meetings, “tabling” at community events, and additional surveys. We look forward to the next phases of this crucial public process.

Louise Currey Wilson
Chair, Princeton Planning Board

Tim Quinn
Vice Chair, Princeton Planning Board
Chair, Master Plan Subcommittee