A citywide master plan meant to guide Pittsburgh for the next 20 years has faced criticism for being nonbinding, too expensive — and vague.

On Tuesday, a top city official rendered that last complaint moot by providing details about the $6 million project to the city’s Planning Commission.

The master plan will create a new land-use map for Pittsburgh, streamline neighborhood planning and recommend various improvements, such as boosting affordable housing and increasing street safety, mitigating landslide risks and supporting parks and greenspaces, according to Assistant Director of Strategic Planning Sharonda Whatley

The plan, which City Council approved in February, has come under criticism for its steep price tag and the vague nature of the initiative.

Detractors have questioned spending so much money — nearly $20 per city resident — on a plan that the city ultimately might not even implement.

When the proposal was first pitched to City Council last year, details around what it would entail, how public engagement would be conducted and what the end result would be were murky.

Whatley on Tuesday said the plan — once completed in two or three years — will guide development decisions and aim “to balance the growth and development throughout the city.” It will help local leaders address issues ranging from climate change and economic downturns to gentrification and affordable housing, she told commissioners via Zoom.

The plan will create a citywide land use map, which could guide development in every part of the city for the next two decades, Whatley said. Officials have said this could include zoning changes meant to bolster affordable housing or increase density in certain neighborhoods.

Another end result will be a streamlined system for neighborhood planning processes, Whatley said.

A neighborhood plan for the Hill District that was already underway will be finished, she said, but no others will go forward until the master plan is complete.

Whatley said the comprehensive vision put together for the city will help officials prioritize which neighborhoods should get new plans first.

The master plan will issue recommendations on other topics, including: environmental justice; waste; energy; climate action; storm water management; parks and open space; vacant land; food; youth; housing; economic opportunity; public health; technology and digital equity; civic engagement, democracy and participation; arts and culture; historic preservation; neighborhood planning; urban design; and mobility and transportation.

The process is set to launch this summer, Whatley said. City residents will get the chance to give feedback. Also involved will be local subcontractors, registered community organizations, youths and marginalized communities, according to Whatley.

The city’s goal, she said, is to engage with about 10% of Pittsburghers, or about 30,000 residents.

Planning Commission Chairwoman LaShawn Burton-Faulk said she is confident that the winners of the $6 million bid — Common Cause Consultants and HR&A Advisors — will produce “something beneficial for the city out of this.”

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