A new municipal plan for Fredericton foresees an additional 8,000 people living downtown over the next 20 years and another 24,000 people in other neighbourhoods scattered around the city.

The proposed plan will be presented to Fredericton's planning advisory committee Wednesday night.

Bruce Grandy, chair of the city's development commission, said the plan envisages the population growing to about 90,000 from 60,000 over the next two decades.

"The plan is the vision for the next 25 to 30 years for our city," he said.

"And if you're living in the city, it's important that you understand what that vision is, and know where we're going."

Grandy said the goal is to make room for growth.

Living in the downtown

The plan identifies areas where housing will grow — Brookside Drive, Marysville, Knowledge Park, Bishop Drive, Hanwell Road and High Point Boulevard — and how the density of the downtown on both sides of the St. John River will increase.

In the future, Grandy said, more people will want to live closer to services such as grocery stores and doctors as they age, and many will prefer downtown areas. New downtown residents will be accommodated by filling in vacant properties.

"We're going to work having a community that has more vibrancy in downtown," he said.

The plan also lays the foundation for zoning that will determine where development can happen.

"How things will be achieved, whether it's a residential or whether it's a multi-unit or whether it's business locations," Grandy said.

What do people want?

The plan has been on the drawing board for three years. The city has held public consultations, including open houses, a three-day summit and "Imagine Fredericton," which gave residents a chance to comment — online and in person — on how the city should look over the next quarter-century.

The engagement process also involved the installation of a temporary "information hub" inside a shipping container beside City Hall. There, people could ask questions, share their views in person and see project materials.

The document contains nine community goals members of the public said they want:

Being sustainable and efficient.

Green and healthy.

Welcoming and supportive.

Strong and diverse economy.

Culturally rich and diverse.

Vibrant downtown and riverfront.

Complete neighbourhoods with distinctive places.

Complete transportation system with busing and active transportation.

Safe and inviting public realm.

The plan is expected to go to council in early January. This is the city's first municipal plan since the late 1990s, and times are different, Grandy said.

"Our world is changing more substantive now than it was back in the '70s, '80s, '90s," Grandy said.