While the order of priority of these principles may vary from community to community, they remain vital to ensuring successful and enduring plans.

Development Principles to be Reflected in Comprehensive Redevelopment Plans

1. Neighborhoods benefit when public and private sectors are collaborators, not adversaries

2. Sometimes the public sector must take the lead

• It has unique powers and responsibilities
  
  
• It may need to demonstrate confidence in the area before others invest
  
  
• It may need to create a market, not just respond to it
  
  

3. Net economic gain – the value created by the plan must exceed the cost of its creation and implementation

4. Net gains in environmental stewardship

5. Redevelopment is preferred to greenfield development

6. Internal cohesion and a sense of place, together with a sense of the community's connection to, and importance in, the broader region

7. Development that first serves current residents and stakeholders and which then expands and supplements their options by attracting newcomers and appropriate new investment (public and private, for-profit and not-for-profit)

8. Wise use of public investment to leverage significant private investment

9. Convenient, attractive and efficient transportation

10. Recognition of the interrelationship of diversity and neighborhood vitality

Process Principles

1. Well-informed community engagement as a fundamental and indispensable part of the planning process, often contributing to leading edge breakthroughs

2. Democratic principles (such as transparency, fairness, and a right to be heard) at all stages of the process

3. Start with a clear, current snapshot of the area and its sense of identity or self:

a. from the perspective of residents, then other stakeholders; and

b. from a professional planning and development team

4. Increased potential for economic viability through buffered developer input during, not after, the planning process

5. High importance of creating and leading the best possible professional team