In decades of planning work, one planner said he had never seen so many people show up to a public meeting like this.
The workshop was meant to gather public input on an update to the Tower District Specific Plan, a document that guides what can be built, preserved, or changed in one of Fresno’s most recognizable neighborhoods.
But as residents kept arriving, tables were added, chairs were pulled closer together, and conversations filled the room. It was clear at this public workshop- these people cared about what happened to the Tower District.
The turnout mattered, because the Tower District plan had not been updated since the 1990s.
Why an old plan needed new voices
A plan written in the 1990s could not fully account for the reality of Tower District today. The mix of homes and nightlife, the pressures on small businesses, the lack of everyday services like grocery stores, or the evolving cultural role Tower plays in Fresno were all factors the updated plan needed to address.
As the City of Fresno began the process of updating the plan, one question quickly became central: how could a new vision for Tower work if it wasn’t shaped by the people who live and work there now?
A process built around the people most affected
The planning effort was led by Urban Diversity Design, WRT Design, the City Long Range Planning department and Tower District Implementation Committee, groups with decades of experience in urban design and community planning. From the outset, they knew that updating the Tower plan required more than technical analysis.
The plan would only work if Tower residents played an active role in its development.
At this point, Sheila Hakimipour with Urban Diversity Design and Peter Winch from WRT Design, partnered with Every Neighborhood Partnership to help facilitate community engagement events in the Tower community.
Time was taken to explain what the plan could and could not do, and to listen carefully to what people cared about most.
When early engagement didn’t feel sufficient, the community and the Tower District Implementation Committee advocated to the City of Fresno for additional workshops.
That meant going beyond formal hearings. Conversations happened at Tower Porchfest, farmers markets, schools, through door knocking and rigorous online engagement. Residents were invited to open houses and small-group discussions rather than asked to deliver rushed comments at a microphone. Outreach was multilingual. The goal wasn’t turnout for its own sake, but participation that actually informed decisions.
What residents shared and how it shaped the plan
One business owner described her love for the Tower District alongside the daily challenges of operating there. She talked about noise from neighboring businesses, parking conflicts, and the difficulty of balancing a vibrant nightlife with a livable neighborhood. She wasn’t asking for Tower to change its character, but she wanted the Plan to craft solutions that also supported business owners in the community.
Other residents talked about the absence of a grocery store and the loss of a library. Some raised concerns about traffic and safety on side streets, where speeding cars cut through residential blocks late at night.
These conversations directly influenced the updated plan. Residents weighed in on where taller buildings could be supported and where smaller-scale development felt more appropriate. They discussed where mixed-use housing made sense and where it would disrupt daily life.
This mattered for a simple reason: a plan created without the input of the people who live there will not work. People will not support it, advocate for it, or trust it.
As one planner involved in the process explained, consultants eventually leave. Residents do not.
When people understand how decisions were made, and see their own fingerprints on the outcome, they are far more likely to defend those decisions over time. They show up again. They remind city leaders why certain choices were made. They hold the plan accountable to its original intent.
That is what gives a plan life beyond adoption.
Recognition that reflects the work
In 2025, the Tower District planning process received regional recognition from the American Planning Association for excellence in communications and outreach. The City of Fresno formally received the award.
The recognition reflected more than a well-written document. It acknowledged a process that invested in listening, adapted when engagement needed to go deeper, and treated residents as partners rather than an audience.
But the most meaningful outcome cannot be measured by an award.
It can be seen in a room filled beyond expectation, in conversations that changed the direction of a plan, and in a neighborhood that helped shape its own future.
Want to get involved in future land development projects?
Contact info@everyneighborhood.com or sign up for ENP’s Community Land Use Academy to learn how to get involved in community engagement and land use projects in your neighborhood.