Oklahoma City is rolling out "Thrive on Classen," a first-of-its-kind transit-oriented development plan for Classen Boulevard, and city leaders are putting residents in the driver’s seat. The plan aims to tackle safety, housing and small-business priorities along the busy corridor while building on recent public transit investments. Officials are collecting feedback through an online survey, an interactive map and a series of community events.
About the plan
Thrive on Classen zeroes in on Classen Boulevard from roughly NW 10th Street to NW 48th Street, along with nearby neighborhoods within about a quarter- to half-mile of the corridor. City staff describe it as Oklahoma City's first dedicated transit-oriented development effort and say it will lean on the new RAPID NW bus rapid transit line as the backbone for safety upgrades, housing strategies and economic opportunities, according to the City of Oklahoma City.
Funding and who’s running it
The planning work is backed by a $975,000 Federal Transit Administration grant, and the city lists Perkins&Will as the consultant partnering with municipal planners. Project staff contacts are posted on the city's Vision project page, which also outlines the planning area and the public outreach tools residents can use, per vision.okc.gov.
Built around RAPID NW
City planners say the study is built around the RAPID NW bus rapid transit line that runs along Classen and Northwest Expressway, using that investment as the spine for denser, walkable development around stations. EMBARK planning documents note that RAPID NW features enhanced stations, level boarding and transit-priority elements intended to support transit-oriented development, according to EMBARK.
Planners' pitch and community role
"Community input is at the heart of this plan," Planning Division Manager Kim Cooper-Hart said in the city's announcement. The city notes that the survey will be offered in English, Spanish and Vietnamese and will stay open through August 31, giving residents time to weigh in on street design, housing priorities and supports for small businesses, per the City of Oklahoma City.
How to weigh in and what’s next
The project page and survey are hosted on the city's Vision portal, which includes an interactive map where residents can drop pins to flag specific sites, ideas and concerns, according to vision.okc.gov. The city has also promoted the effort on its X account to boost awareness of the survey and upcoming public meetings, as shown on City of OKC on X.
Earlier reporting on the $975,000 transit planning effort and prior Classen corridor work has helped trace how Oklahoma City arrived at this new round of community engagement, including coverage of the federal planning grant that helped launch this effort.
