The comprehensive plan will serve as a framework for future decisions on land use, development, infrastructure, public services, parks, transportation, and community investment. Residents, businesses, community partners, Town officials, and other stakeholders shaped this plan through surveys, neighborhood meetings, focus groups, open houses, pop-up events, and other engagement opportunities.

A Vision for How Harrisburg Grows

One of the key components of the Draft Plan is the Future Land Use and Conservation Plan, or Vision Map (p. 97). This Vision Map uses Place Types to describe the anticipated character, scale, and intensity of future development and conservation across the Harrisburg Planning Area. Place Types look at the broader characteristics that help define a community, including land uses, scale, density of development, connectivity, and open space.

The Draft identifies 10 Place Types organized into four categories:

• Open Space: Green Space
• Residential: Rural Estates, Single-Family Residential, Mixed Residential
• Centers: Local Center, Downtown and Commercial Corridor
• Employment & Special Use: Employment Mixed-Use, Civic-Institutional, and Industrial

The identified Place Types provide a framework for how different areas of Harrisburg could evolve while supporting the community’s priorities of maintaining its distinctive character, improving connectivity, supporting a vibrant downtown, and ensuring that new development addresses impacts to existing infrastructure.

It is important to note that the Vision Map is a planning framework and does not change existing zoning or property rights. Any future changes to development regulations would take place separately through the Town’s established ordinance amendment and public hearing process.

Turning Vision into Action

The Draft Plan also focuses on the implementation phase – identifying how the Town can move from a long-term vision to measurable action. The recommendations include strategies related to managing growth, reinforcing Harrisburg’s character, preserving open space and rural landscapes, improving walkability and connectivity, enhancing Downtown, strengthening public safety and community services, and building a more balanced local economy.

Implementation priorities will continue to be established through the Town Council’s three-year strategic planning process, annual budget process, and Capital Improvement Plan. Progress will be tracked through an Implementation Portfolio with updates reported annually. The strategy allows the Town to revisit priorities as the community grows, needs change, and new opportunities emerge.

“The Draft Plan is more than a policy document – it’s a reflection of our residents’ collective vision for the future of Harrisburg,” said Town Manager Rob Donham. “As our Town continues to evolve, the One Harrisburg Strategic Comprehensive Plan ensures we manage growth responsibly with a clear and strategic framework. The One Harrisburg Plan gives us the tools to balance open space preservation and downtown vitality with smart development. I encourage everyone to join us at an upcoming COMPversation meeting and share their perspective.”

“Over the past year, our community has come together to have meaningful conversations about what we want Harrisburg to look like. Not just today, but 10, 20 and even 30 years from now,” said Mayor Jennifer Teague. “The One Harrisburg Plan is the result of a tremendous amount of community input, and I’m proud that our residents have had a voice in shaping this vision. This isn’t about changing zoning or taking away anyone’s property rights, it’s about having a thoughtful roadmap for the future. We can preserve the character and open spaces that make Harrisburg special while investing in the infrastructure, connectivity, downtown, public safety and services our growing community needs. Most importantly, this is a community plan. It belongs to the people of Harrisburg. This is our opportunity to be proactive rather than reactive, and I hope our residents will continue to engage in this important conversation.”

Join the Conversation

Residents and community members are encouraged to review the Public Draft and learn more about the proposed vision through upcoming COMPversation Meetings hosted by the Town of Harrisburg.

These drop-in meetings will allow community members to explore the draft plan, ask questions, and provide feedback on the proposed Place Types, Vision Map, and implementation recommendations.

COMPversation Meeting Dates:

• October 1, 2026
  Harrisburg Fire Station #1, 6450 Morehead Rd, Harrisburg, NC 28075
  5:00–6:30 p.m.
• October 5, 2026
  The Burg Church, 7155 Hickory Ridge Rd, Harrisburg, NC 28075
  9:00–10:30 a.m.
• October 15, 2026
  Vortex Bottle Shop, 4469 School House Commons, Harrisburg, NC 28075
  5:00–6:30 p.m.
• October 16, 2026
  Sunflour Bakery, 5040 State Highway 49, Harrisburg, NC 28075
  9:00–10:30 a.m.

Next Steps

The Public Draft of the One Harrisburg Strategic Comprehensive Plan is available for community review at OneHarrisburgNCPlan.org. Residents and community members are encouraged to read the plan, explore the Vision Map and Place Types, attend a COMPversation Meeting, and share their thoughts as the Town moves toward the next phase of the planning process. 

Following additional public review and feedback, the plan will proceed through the Town’s formal review and adoption process, including a presentation to the Planning and Zoning Board on October 20, 2026, and a public hearing at the November 9, 2026, Town Council Meeting.