Mission Statement

The primary goal of the Royal Oak Neighborhood Design Plan is to guide future enhancements and improve the usability of public spaces within Royal Oak neighborhoods. Community preferences will be determined at public workshops and used to support a shared understanding of the desired character and aesthetic goals. The end result will be a plan that recognizes distinct neighborhood identities and meets the needs for a diverse population.

Purpose of this Plan

National preferences regarding housing and lifestyles have shifted within the last decade from sprawling suburban subdivisions to walkable connected neighborhoods. The combination of Royal Oak’s convenient location within metropolitan Detroit, proximity to a successful commercial district and a wealth of homes with character has placed a high demand on Royal Oak’s residential stock.

Reinvestment in the Community 

The City of Royal Oak recognizes this demand and is working to ensure the ‘small town’ feel of the City is preserved without hindering an appropriate environment for reinvestment in the community. The City of Royal Oak proposed the development of this plan to preserve the existing residential neighborhoods. The plan is a means for the City to prepare for continued enhancement and viability of public places / spaces – such as neighborhood entrances, parks, and/or public facilities.

Toolbox Plan 

The approach of this plan is that of a ‘toolbox’. The ‘tools’ are the recommendations found later in this document. The recommended enhancements include signage, streetscape improvements (lighting, furnishings, etc.), buffering from more intensive land uses, improvements to pedestrian and non-motorized vehicular accessibility and the enhancement of existing public spaces and recreational amenities.

The tools, or recommendations, are intended to be fine tuned methods that would define the positive characteristics of the existing neighborhood. Each recommendation has specific implementation criteria that clearly describes the environment in which the recommendation should be applied. Having the ‘right tool for the right job’ is the key to fulfilling the goals of the mission statement for this plan.