Outlook & Projections Summary

The Comprehensive Plan builds on past trends to prepare the City for the future. Monroe is a desirable community for families and professionals to live. There has been steady population growth over the last 10 years, and it will continue at that rate unless the City takes other steps to manage development differently.

Population and employment projections determine how much land is allocated to different land uses. These projections are derived from demographic trends. The Steering Committee discussed the fast rate of population and housing development and together determined slow managed growth should be the policy direction of the City. Although Monroe faces challenges in expanding its physical boundaries, the City has enough undeveloped land for future housing to continue attracting future residents to the community. The 2040 Comprehensive Plan will accommodate a future population of 21,000 people by 2040. This population is an increase of 6,000 people from the 2019 population of 15,000 people. The Steering Committee believes this is the appropriate amount of growth over the next 20 years.

Vision

Monroe is an economically diverse community with small town charm focused on quality growth and development, family-centered amenities, and creating a vibrant quality of life for all. Land Use: Monroe will achieve a more cohesive and balanced development pattern that strengthens residential neighborhoods and grows the job base while offering more diverse and unique places to enhance the character of Monroe, promote quality development, target strategic redevelopment, protect natural assets, responsibly grow the school district, and minimize impacts to City resources.

Housing: Monroe will encourage a wide range of quality housing including townhomes, apartments, condominiums, and single-family detached homes.

Economic Development: Monroe will be an economically sustainable city with a diverse tax base and high-wage jobs while protecting the community’s character.

Transportation: Monroe will have a safe, accessible, and well-connected multi-modal transportation system that addresses vehicular congestion, supports the desired land use pattern; promotes physical activity, health, and wellness; and serves the needs of Monroe’s residents, businesses, institutions, and industries.

Quality of Life: Monroe will be a resilient place to live, build a career, do business, eat, shop, and recreate, making it the preferred place to call home in the region.

Downtown: Monroe will reinvigorate the downtown by strategically planning a genuine community gathering space that fosters public private partnerships for varied residential opportunities, creates jobs through business attraction and retention, and caters to a pedestrianoriented environment with generation bridging activities.