Plans - Hansen Planning Group

We Plan Communities So They Can Thrive.

Two Decades of Planning Experience

Our team, headed by Mike Hansen, AICP, has over two decades of planning, ordinance writing, and local government experience. We’ve worked in almost 100 Utah communities and others throughout the U.S. in the last 7 years.

Check out a few of our recent projects below.

General Plans

Your general plan is a legally required, foundational document that outlines the long-term goals of a community. It forms the legal basis for any kind of policy, action, or capital investment, (especially infrastructure improvements). There’s an art and a science to building a good one—we know how to do both.

Our plans stand-out because they are thorough and data-driven while still being actionable and interesting. In other words, our plans effectively guide the community, and don’t put people to sleep.

Economic Development Plans

A good economic development plan involves a realistic assessment of the local conditions and sets policy direction for economic growth. It identifies barriers, strategies, and projects to improve the local economy.

Our economic development plans are rooted in extensive data, and we rely on the latest economic research to interpret our results. The final product highlights the easiest and most important things the local government can do (with the things they can control) to encourage long-term job creation and business growth.

Affordable Housing Plans

Many communities throughout the nation—especially those in Utah—are facing housing shortages. In Utah, local governments are required to maintain and regularly update a “moderate-income housing plan” that addresses housing needs.

We conduct housing studies and produce plans that balance the need to protect existing community character against the need to make housing accessible to all. The final product not only fulfills state requirements but also presents solutions that everyone can support.

Environmental and Natural Resource Plans

Every administration has a duty to ensure that the community’s natural resources are used responsibly. Every administration also has a responsibility to prepare for natural disasters and hazards.

We work with policymakers and stakeholders to find a win-win path to promoting industry while preserving your environmental attractions and opportunities for generations to come. We also create disaster mitigation plans to help cities prepare to bounce back from unexpected encounters with nature.

Planning Experience

We plan all day. Here are just a few of our recent projects.

Lake Point City GP + Code Creation (2023)

Focus: new governance structure, annexation, codebook creation

Translated the vision of Utah's newest city into a general plan and accompanying land use regulations designed to set the course for future development and effective local leadership.

Ballard City, UT, GP + Code Update (2023)

Focus: long-term vision, user-friendliness, land use

Balanced heritage preservation with new growth and collaborated with stakeholders to update the general plan and ordinances, emphasizing character preservation, growth accommodation, and user-friendly, transparent land use code revisions.

Honeyville City, UT, GP + Code Update (2023)

Focus: land use, development, proactive regulation

General plan and related ordinance update to proactively respond to growing threat to the city's rural character caused by regional growth pressure.

Roosevelt City, UT, Code Update (2023)

Focus: local review convenience, subdivisions

Full codebook update, illustrated by "policy summary catalogs" to speed the review process. Notable emphases on tiny home subdivision policy and a unique approach to on-street parking regulation.

Salina City, UT, GP + Code Update (2023)

Focus: economic transition, housing

Helped the city pivot its approach in response to major industry transition and incorporate redevelopment initiatives into its general plan and refined its development code.

Blanding City, UT, GP + Code Update (2023)

Focus: land use, strategy, mapping, college town

Modernized the city's antiquated general plan and land use regulations, with a special emphasis on interactive mapping resources.

Weber County, UT, Pre-Disaster Mitigation Plan (2022)

Focus: environmental, municipal coordination

Created an action plan to prepare for environmental threats using interactive story maps and a project-specific website; coordinated with 36 stakeholder entities.

Davis County, UT, Pre-Disaster Mitigation Plan (2020)

Focus: environmental, resiliency

Promoted sound public policy for reducing the the vulnerability of citizens, infrastructure, and property to natural disasters; shepherded the creation of a FEMA-approved mitigation plan for the region.

Emery County, UT, Pre-Disaster Mitigation Plan (2022)

Focus: hazard mitigation, organization, environmental

Collaborated with all municipalities in the county on a deadline and analyzed substantial quantities of data to create a plan that prepares the region to bounce back after a natural disaster.

Cedar City, UT, GP Update (2020)

Focus: community involvement, land use, healthcare, development

Produced an extensive general plan, including multiple unique chapters addressing issues of interest to the community such as downtown development, healthcare, and natural resources; conducted thorough public interaction and stakeholder coordination.

Hyde Park City, UT, GP + Code Update (2022)

Focus: housing, development agreements, mixed-use zoning

Responded to record housing demand and navigated controversial development requests while updating the city's general plan; rewrote land use ordinances into “plain language” and to be state compliant.

Juab County, UT, GP Update (2022)

Focus: environmental, transportation, land use

Crafted a new general plan for the county that expressed local desire to preserve the region's beautifully and wholesome character in the face of fast-moving development; developed a County Resource Management Plan.