The genesis of Huntsville’s master plan came during Mayor Tommy Battle’s second term in 2014 when the city was the third largest in Alabama.

In 2018, the mayor’s office unveiled The BIG Picture master plan at a time when the city had grown into the state’s second largest.

Four years later, with Huntsville now the largest city in the Heart of Dixie, Mayor Battle and Manager of Urban and Long-Range Planning Dennis Madsen introduced The BIG Picture 2.0.

“Eight years ago, the city began soliciting the public’s help with creating the comprehensive master plan, one that would help shape the present and continue building and have a road map for the future,’’ Mayor Battle, elected to a fourth term in 2020, said during a press conference Thursday at City Hall.

Before the initial release of the master plan, more than 200 public workshops and lectures were held to formulate a path for smart, sustainable growth.

“The result was The Big Picture, a community-led guide that would help direct the future of neighborhood development, of parks, greenways, transportation, arts and entertainment and quality of life,’’ Mayor Battle said.

Starting in August and running through December the city will launch a campaign to educate the public regarding informative blogs on the city website that will include topics such as transportation, housing, arts and culture and more; social media content on a forthcoming Facebook page; and public-facing events designed to spur conversation in the community.

Madsen, who moved to Huntsville from Atlanta in 2013, said the extensive master plan has been a labor of love.

“It’s become as much of a second child that I have,’’ he said.

“We really focused on creating something that’s very accessible, very transparent, very reflective of its community,’’ Madsen continued.

The website contains the four following sections, with sub-sections in each one, to offer the public a snapshot of ongoing and future plans:

Principles – The broad ideals that express the community vision and which will shape decision-making in the future. They are consensus-based, achievable, and inclusive. The articulation of “Principles” is intended to set up a series of ideals that will guide the decision-making for future projects and initiatives. The Principles reflect what we as a community would like to see for our city when we envision our future.

Policies – The City of Huntsville’s general policies on a variety of topics related to the Big Picture Master Plan.

Places – Refers to unique parts of Huntsville’s fabric, from sub-areas and districts to parks and greenways, for which area-specific plans are being developed. Each Place has its own road map for growth and development, and each has its own individual set of “goals” and “actions” to support its plan. New Places will be added as small-area plans are completed, and as new development and redevelopment opportunities arise.

Process – Outlines how The BIG Picture got to where it is today. This section contains past entries on community feedback, policy discussions, and economic analysis, as well as videos of special events and the speaker series. This section provides the background that set the stage for developing the Principles, Policies, and Places that make up The BIG Picture.

One characteristic of the master plan is flexibility.

“We will change some (as a city),’’ Battle said. “We have to accept change. But, as we go through that change, let’s manage it so we keep the good things and the things that aren’t so good, throw them out.’’

The master plan can be viewed at bigpicturehuntsville.com.