| Location | Biddeford, ME |
| Population | 20,942 (2,000 Census) |
| Area | 30 square miles (78 square kilometers) |
| Project Partners | |
| Project Duration | 2008-2010 |
| Focus Areas | Downtown planning, economic development, historic preservation, redevelopment |
| Methods | Dialogue, storytelling, youth participation, scenario planning, visualization |
| Tools | Community Almanac, graphic facilitation, digital stories, keypad polling |
| Coordinator Contact | Rachael Weyand 207.284.8520 heartofbiddeford [@] gmail [.] com |
| Project Website | Heart of Biddeford |
Watch a clip of Biddeford's Main Street
Biddeford’s Heart & Soul Community Planning initiative is focused on creating a Downtown Master Plan for revitalization, which dovetails with its Main Street program and other redevelopment efforts. Biddeford has engaged the dispersed communities within the City limits and identified common values, which will soon be incorporated into the Plan and into all future planning and development decisions. The Downtown Master Plan will cover a wide range of topics, including streetscape design and landscape architecture, types of businesses and organizations to attract newcomers and locals, and guidelines for growth.
Heart of Biddeford, serving as the project coordinator, has used storytelling activities, neighborhood gatherings, community-wide forums and a regular newsletter to engage residents. The community will continue to incorporate information gleaned from these discussions into visualizing alternatives and drafting a Master Plan. Biddeford has created a committee of residents, business and civic leaders, educators and municipal officials to guide the process.