Johnson Engineering is helping the City of Naples prepare for a resilient, community-centered future.
A City’s Comprehensive Plan is the “blueprint” policy document that guides long-term planning decisions on future growth and sustainability through the next 20 years. Johnson Engineering is leading the Naples 2045 Comprehensive Plan Update to ensure the plan reflects the community’s vision.
In March 2025, our planning team initiated the 22-month effort to update the City’s Comprehensive Plan. The primary objectives of this important initiative are to amend the Plan to reinforce the newly adopted Vision and revise policies to address new and emerging challenges such as climate resilience, redevelopment, infrastructure demands, and the preservation of Naples’ unique small-town character. We are guiding the planning process from early research through public engagement, drafting, and local and state approval, all in close coordination with the City of Naples Planning Department and City Manager’s office.
To support this effort, we’ve assembled a team of experts including Clarion Associates, LLC specializing in land use and community character; CMA Outreach, Inc., leading public engagement and outreach; and Erin L. Deady, P.A., a statewide leader in local government resilience policy. Together, we’re facilitating data collection and analysis, community outreach and engagement, Draft Plan development, and ultimately formal approval and adoption through the local and state review process.
A key focus of this plan is community engagement. To ensure transparency and accessibility throughout the planning process, we have prepared a Public Involvement Plan that outlines the approach and methods for sharing information and gathering feedback from the community including a tentative schedule for key engagement opportunities. A dedicated project website has been created as a primary means to share information and communicate about the project, providing a central platform for disseminating project updates, receiving comments and input, and reviewing drafts and other deliverables. The website can be found here: https://www.Naples2045.com.
The City’s last major Comprehensive Plan Update occurred in November 2018. Since then, Johnson Engineering helped the City amend its Plan to reflect changes in state land planning requirements. The Naples 2045 Comprehensive Plan Update will focus on elective changes that will reflect local priorities and ensure that the strategies identified in the Vision Element are incorporated throughout all elements of the Plan.
Since adopting its first comprehensive plan in 1952, Naples has emphasized the importance of balancing growth with the protection and enhancement of its small-town character. City leaders and residents alike have voiced a strong desire to preserve what makes Naples feel special—its scale, its sense of place, its connection to the water and historic roots. But defining that charm isn’t always simple, especially in a community that spans everything from beachfront high-rises to quiet historic cottages, and single-story boutiques. Part of our work involves helping craft clear and effective planning policies that help reinforce and perpetuate the community’s character.
We’re also tackling the big-picture challenges that affect all coastal Florida cities. The City recently conducted a Critical Assets and Facilities Vulnerability Assessment, prepared an Adaptation Plan, and is now developing a Climate Adaptation Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for potential impacts of climate change on public health, infrastructure, and ecosystems in the City. With guidance from Erin Deady, the Naples 2045 Comprehensive Plan Update will develop actionable policies that address climate concerns such as coastal storms, extreme heat, and flooding caused by sea level rise and rainfall. These updates will help position Naples to adapt to changing environmental conditions, strengthen its infrastructure, and protect its long-term sustainability.
The Naples 2045 Comprehensive Plan Update will serve as the foundation for all future updates to the Land Development Code and other implementation strategies for a resilient, vibrant future that honors the best of the past while preparing for what’s ahead.
For more information on this project, contact Chrissy Fisher, AICP at [email protected].
