Katahdin Vision & Action Plan

Client Challenge | The Katahdin Region of Maine is known for the rugged beauty of its forests, lakes, rivers, mountains, wildlife, and the hundreds of miles of trails that connect them. The region experienced decades of prosperity with the Great Northern Paper company that employed 4,000 people out of 10,000 residents in Millinocket and East Millinocket. After the paper mills closed down, the region decided the only way forward was to envision a future together. How could the seven towns work collaboratively across a large and varied geographic area in Northern Maine? What does sustainable economic development look like in the 21st century? How can the community embrace a shared vision for themselves as the base of Katahdin Mountain, a new National Monument, and the end point of the Appalachian Trail?

Team Approach | The Katahdin Gazetteer: A Roapmap to the Future is the result of hundreds of conversations, survey responses, sticky-dots, and edits from community members throughout the Katahdin Region. It is an ambitious vision for the future with achievable actions that provide a roadmap to start the journey. Neighbors, local non-profit organizations, financial institutions, small businesses, select board members, students, and visitors came together in the process. A collection of “Big Ideas” emerged as focal points for the vision: become the four-season outdoor destination for the Northeast; future-proof the region; support all generations of people; embrace a new local economy; grow the nextwave of forest products; and enable walkable villages that serve as walkways to the wilderness.

Project Impact | Connected, healing, welcoming, moxie, world class, and timeless are the principles to guide the future of the Katahdin Region. Groups in the region continue to work together to pursue big idea action items as a result of the plan. A public/private collaboration has enabled a full-time economic development position to open up to continue the work set forth in the Vision and Action Plan.

Location
Millinocket, East Millinocket, Medway, Sherman, Patten, Island Falls, Mount Chase

Client
Katahdin Collaborative

Year
2017-2019

Team
Principle AB & Co.

Disciplines
Urban Design
Planning Community Engagement Economic Development

More Info
Katahdin Collaborative

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Complete streets, including cycle track and public plazas, are integrated throughout the proposed Union Square Neighborhood Plan.

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The vision and action planning is made possible by bringing the community together. Place types were explored that incorporated the goals and action items identified in the plan. A walkable community of mixed-use housing, community gardens, and public space that supports aging in place is shown on the above left. A sustainable camp outpost that supports local businesses, travelers, and explorers is shown on the above right.

The proposed Union Square Neighborhood Plan includes shared space that provides equal access to cars, pedestrians, and cyclists.

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