Downtwon Forward: resident-led planning in mansfield, Ohio
Source: City of Mansfield
by Allie watson
June 2026
Mansfield, Ohio, embarked on a resident-led plan for its downtown called Mansfield Rising. The plan, created from scratch beginning in 2018 and amended in 2024, was completed without professional planning assistance (cue gasp from the planners and architects)! A core group of 15 individuals, including one who is now the mayor, led the charge after attending South by Southwest for inspiration.Implementation of the plan continues and has resulted not only in a highly engaged citizenry but also in over $22 million of investment thus far – and that’s just the beginning.Richland County Foundation President & CEO, Allie Watson, shares a bit about how that plan was achieved and how Mansfield is moving forward.downtown forward: mansfield, OHio
In 2018, the Richland County Foundation (RCF) wanted to make a meaningful investment in downtown Mansfield, Ohio, but we just weren’t quite sure the right way to do it. At the same time, the Chamber of Commerce had promoted European trips for residents. The editor of Richland Source, our local online news source, saw a Chamber email and thought it would be great to send a group to South by Southwest (SXSW), a conference in Austin, TX, that he had attended for years. The three entities got together and decided to send a group of 15 local future leaders to SXSW with the express purpose of bringing back ideas to invest in downtown Mansfield.
Source: Richland source
The team traveled to SXSW, participated in dozens of sessions, learned how other cities were investing and creating vibrant communities, and blogged about their experience the entire time. Thousands of people read the blogs, so the community felt like they were along for the ride.When the team returned home, they got to work by holding meetings and listening sessions and interviewing people who frequent downtown and those who do not. The team of 15 engaged an Advisory Group of 28 local leaders to help provide honest feedback and realistic historical perspective. They learned as much as possible from April to December of 2018, when they had to present the plan to the RCF Board for their approval.
In early 2019, the 68-page plan went public with its 39 ideas, and the community embraced it. Many entities and organizations approved of the plan, and the local support was astounding. Because the plan was meant for the community, only a few copies were printed. It lives online, so anyone can access it, read it, and see where they want to contribute.The ideas range from window “clings” on empty storefronts that would help people imagine what types of businesses could be downtown, to a city-wide recycling system, to a multi-million-dollar multi-use structure on the city’s largest parking lot in the heart of downtown.Investment has ranged from free public Wi-Fi to a $22M streetscape and watermain project on Main Street spanning four city blocks and taking 18 months to complete - check out the finished project this October. This renovation has spanned from building to building across Main Street, including a 100-year-old water main replacement, the implementation of 2-way traffic after decades of southbound-only traffic, and enhanced walkability and beautification features.
Source: cuda studio
The vision is for downtown Mansfield to become an optimal place to conduct business, gather, and live. The Mansfield Rising Plan showed this vision can be achieved through five key areas: effective land use, wayfinding, technical assistance for business, branding and marketing, and safety. The Guiding Principles of the plan are:downtown is everyone’s neighborhoodoffering big-city amenities with a small-town feelsustainable change happens incrementallyplacemaking is economic development
Looking ahead, the next big investment is Downtown Forward, a $30M project the Foundation is leading as it renovates several historic buildings in downtown Mansfield, converting the upper floors into residential units and the first floors into additional businesses. Fourteen historic brick buildings are being donated by a local family who has invested in downtown Mansfield since the 1980s. This family has believed in our downtown for decades, and this extraordinary gift is a powerful vote of confidence in our community’s future.
Source: cuda studio
This gift and investment will benefit the community in the long term and lead to a vibrant downtown. Downtown Forward will bring historic downtown buildings back to life by adding housing and retail space, supporting existing businesses, and increasing daily activity and foot traffic: all essential components for long-term vibrancy. When you add housing, small-business space, and everyday activities downtown, you create the momentum that supports everyone, especially existing businesses. More people living and spending time downtown means more foot traffic, more energy, and more long-term economic vitality.
source: destination mansfield
The Richland County Foundation has a long history of stepping forward at pivotal moments to invest in projects that strengthen the economic, cultural, and social fabric of our community. Downtown Forward is a continuation of that work, and this is exactly what community foundations are built to do: steward meaningful gifts and turn them into long-term community benefit. The Foundation is extremely fortunate to have strong partners beside us, years of community planning behind us, and an extraordinary donor gift that makes it possible to advance our mission.Allie Watson has been with the Richland County Foundation since 2012, working with donors, facilitating grants, and supporting nonprofit organizations. She has been the President & CEO of the Foundation since 2024, and she led the Mansfield Rising initiative, the Foundation’s investment strategy for downtown Mansfield. She helped establish the Osborne Meese Academy, a capacity-building program for nonprofit organizations, and she works closely with donors to help create their philanthropic wishes.