For a redevelopment plan to be successful, a community must create a plan with community input to determine how it wants that community to look after the redevelopment process is completed. Mandan hired the URS Corporation, a firm that specializes in planning and urban design, to create a comprehensive redevelopment plan.

The plan was approved by the Mandan City Commission in early 2004. The 2003 URS Redevelopment Plan adopted by the City Commission offers the following vision: To establish downtown Mandan as a place where residents and visitors can work, live, shop and play in a pedestrian-friendly and safe environment.

The redevelopment plan calls for mixed uses including new offices and professional services, dense housing, en events center, niche retail and casual/family dining. Goals are:

- Improve overall street character and image through investment, beautification and heritage.
- Fill gaps in the community’s retail, restaurant and service sectors.
- Create and maintain critical mass to support these businesses through vertical mixed uses including office and residential spaces above the ground level.
- Ensure safe circulation and adequate parking and improve the image and attractiveness of surface parking areas.

A great deal of progress has been made in meeting the goals set forth by the URS plan, including

- Development of a Renaissance Zone that has resulted in nearly $5 million in private sector investment committed to 20 buildings being newly constructed, expanded or rehabilitated.
- Development of a Storefront Improvement Program that has been used in more than 20 projects, leveraging more private investment in the improvement of commercial properties.
- Construction of two housing units, the second with ground floor commercial space.
- Planned mixed-use redevelopment projects that will increase density and provide built-in customers for ground level retail and restaurant uses with market rate housing.
- Reconstruction of arterial streets.
- Renovation of the City’s fire station, public library, and visitor’s center.