1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

North Canton, Ohio is a safe, family-friendly community with excellent schools and city services. The city’s Master Plan is aimed at attracting new businesses and residents. North Canton last completed a Master Plan in 2012. The city also prepared a University District Plan in 2016 and a Parks Expansion Plan in 2018. Some of the recommendations from these plans have been or are being implemented. But market conditions are changing and an updated Master Plan is needed to tie previous planning efforts together, address gaps in these plans, and establish actionable recommendations. Based on a community survey in 2019, most residents are pleased with the overall direction of the city and are planning to stay. Through a series of interviews and meetings during the master planning process, community members identified five priorities for the city’s future: 1. Cultivate a Business-friendly Community for job creation and economic growth. 2. Build a Vibrant Downtown Core with a vision for Main Street as a destination, with opportunities for business development, parking, public space, and beautification.

3. Link the University District to Downtown with strategies for expanding the impact of Walsh University deeper into the surrounding community and making stronger connections between the Walsh Campus and Main Street. 4. Strengthen Residential Neighborhoods through housing rehabilitation and new construction to support the needs of existing residents as they age in place, attract young professionals and families, and create intergenerational neighborhoods where young adults can live near their parents and grandparents. 5. Explore Citywide Broadband for business development, downtown vibrancy, university connections, and attracting younger home buyers to city neighborhoods. Detailed recommendations and action steps for each of these priorities are described in this plan.