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Loading Glossary… Meredith Dawson Jan 15 2026 at 2:58PM on page 9
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This could just be personal preference... would this sound better if it said "are struggling"?
City Beautiful: the City Beautiful concept was a North American urban planning trend (1890s-1920s) aiming to beautify cities with grand, classical architecture, parks, and monuments. It focused on incorporating a civic center, parks, and grand boulevards. Urban forest: a collection of all trees, shrubs, and vegetation within a city or townFuture Land Use Map: a visual representation displaying not only the areas of future growth around a community, but the types of growth and development that a community envisions for the futureFLUM: Future Land Use MapMLUPA: Montana Land Use Planning ActMontana Land Use Planning Act: State law adopted in 2023 that modernized how Montana cities plan and regulate land use. MLUPA requires updated growth policies, a future land use map, stronger and ongoing public engagement, clear alignment between adopted plans and zoning and subdivision regulations, and the adoption of specific zoning reforms intended to reduce barriers to housing and development.CIP: Capital Improvement PlanGFDA: Great Falls Development AlliancePCD: City’s Planning and Community Development DepartmentTIFID: Tax Increment Financing Industrial DistrictInfill: building on vacant or underused land within existing, already developed areas, like empty lots, old parking lots, or former industrial sites, to "fill in" gaps rather than expanding into undeveloped land (greenfields)Greenfield: building new projects on previously undeveloped land, such as farmland or natural areas, essentially creating something from a "blank slate" with no existing infrastructureBrownfield: is a property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substanceGrowth Policy: Per the Montana Land Use Planning Act (MLUPA), the Growth Policy serves as the City’s land use plan for the next 20 years and is Montana’s version of a comprehensive plan. It establishes the community’s long term vision for growth, land use, infrastructure, housing, and public investment. The Growth Policy guides future decisions and policy choices but does not change zoning, approve development projects, or grant development rights on its own.ADU: Accessory Dwelling Unit - A self-contained residential dwelling unit located on the same lot as a primary single-family residence. Under Montana law, an ADU is subordinate to the primary dwelling and includes its own kitchen, bathroom, sleeping area, and independent living facilities. An ADU may be located within the primary structure, attached to it, or detached (such as a backyard cottage or garage apartment).TIF: Tax Increment Financing - A public financing mechanism authorized under Montana law that allows a city to capture the increase in property tax revenue (the “tax increment”) above a frozen base value within a designated district. The increment may be used to pay for public infrastructure, redevelopment activities, or other eligible project costs that support urban renewal, industrial development, or targeted economic development within the district, as specifically authorized by state statute.Urban Renewal District: A designated area where TIF is used to reinvest in aging or underdeveloped parts of the city to encourage redevelopment.Floodplain: Land areas subject to flooding, as mapped by FEMA. Development in floodplains is regulated to reduce risk to people, property, and public infrastructure.Lifecycle Cost: The total long-term cost of infrastructure, including construction, maintenance, repair, and replacement—not just the upfront price.FLUT: Future Land Use TypesFuture Land Use Types: Broad, nonregulatory categories shown on the Future Land Use Map that describe the intended character, intensity, and mix of development in different areas over time. Future Land Use Types provide direction for how areas should evolve while allowing flexibility for incremental change and context-sensitive development.Infrastructure: The public systems that support daily life and development, including streets, water, sewer, stormwater, parks, and public facilities. Infrastructure decisions carry long-term financial obligations, and extending infrastructure increases future maintenance and replacement costs that must be supported by ongoing revenues.Redevelopment: New development or reinvestment that occurs on previously developed land, often involving the reuse, renovation, or replacement of existing buildings and infrastructure. Redevelopment is a key strategy for strengthening the city’s tax base while minimizing the need for outward expansion.Maintenance: The ongoing work required to keep public infrastructure and facilities in safe, functional condition. Prioritizing maintenance helps avoid deferred costs, reduces long-term liabilities, and protects prior public investments.Deferred Maintenance: Maintenance that is postponed due to funding or capacity constraints. Deferred maintenance often leads to higher future costs, reduced service levels, and increased risk of infrastructure failure.Infrastructure Capacity: The ability of existing public systems—such as streets, utilities, and emergency services—to support additional development without requiring major expansion. Evaluating capacity helps direct growth to areas where services can be provided efficiently and cost-effectively.Urban Fringe: Areas at the edge of the city where development often requires new infrastructure and service extensions. Growth in these areas can increase long-term public costs if not carefully planned and aligned with available resources.
Summary
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Ch. 1: Purpose and Process
Includes things like what the growth policy is, why we have one, and how to use it.
Ch. 2: Great Falls, Then and Now
Includes the history of planning in Great Falls and current conditions on things such as natural resources and environment, demographics, land use, economy, housing, infrastructure, schools, mobility, and a 2013 Growth Policy audit.
Ch. 3 and 4: The People's Plan and Framework for the Future
Chapter 3 includes an overview of the public outreach process. Details about survey results, comment cards, and workshop feedback, can be found in the Public Engagement Report on our website (futuregreatfalls.com) under the tab ‘Public Engagement’. Chapter 4 includes the vision statement and planning principles.
Ch. 5: The Future of Great Falls
Includes the Future Land Use Types, development suitability analysis, and Future Land Use Map.
Ch. 6 and 7: Fiscally Conscious Future and Let's Get Focused!
Chapter 6 includes fiscal responsibility, efficiency, impacts of growth, cost considerations, and fiscal and service pressures. Chapter 7 includes three ‘focus area’ examples that illustrate how planning and design strategies can be applied to different locations in Great Falls. These are illustrative in nature and do not prescribe or regulate development.
Ch. 8: Great Falls: A Vision Realized
Includes implementation tools, strategies, and framework.
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