The Draft Vision Statement was prepared in consultation with the Master Plan Steering Committee. If you would like to comment please click on the “Give Us Your Input” tab to the left.

The Port City of New Bedford stands prepared, aware of our coastal location and our extensive marine industries and opportunities, proud of our heritage, with a diverse population of hardworking, inspired and creative people and a growing appreciation of our natural resources and our environmental strengths. Like generations before who navigated our seas and harvested their living from her bounty, or the many others that labored in our mills, New Bedford citizens are courageous, determined, proud, and willing to accept a challenge. We are prepared to build our future with our collective intellect and heritage, our willingness to work together, our knowledge of the sea, and our capacity for hard work.

Through this Master Plan we are building a better future for our City. We are creating opportunities for our children and grandchildren to live here – by choice. Our vision for the future of New Bedford will celebrate all our cultures, and inspire positive and productive participation in our community. This Master Plan will promote a positive vision for our City that can be projected by all our citizenry, as they travel efficiently, feel safe and prosperous, and take pride in sharing our public spaces and natural resources with visitors and with each other.

Our fortunes and occupations as a city have ebbed and flowed like the tides. Today, our arts community is expanding and our downtown is now a center for higher education, entrepreneurship and culture. With an extended Acushnet River, Buzzards Bay and Clark’s Cove coastline, and the many parks, beaches, a zoo and open spaces that we enthusiastically use, we are a city with a vibrant public life. This Master Plan must aggressively fuel our resurgence by including a mix of uses, transportation, and public spaces that celebrate our community’s diverse cultures and styles -- spaces where everyone feels they belong.

The future for our City, the Commonwealth and our nation depends on how effectively we tackle the challenges of education, energy, the environment and social equity. New Bedford already harbors the tools to make progress on these problems, with creativity and speed. We know our strengths: a creative community, comprehensive marine heritage and resources, people eager for work, affordable space, a safe harbor and unrivaled access to nature and the sea. Blessed with our sea and air ports and investments made here by past generations, we are ready to move fast in capitalizing on the wind, waves, shipping channels, tides and fisheries.

In the 19th century, “we lit the world.” Drawing on the same oceans of strength, we can light our way in this new century.