GAHANNA, Ohio (WCMH) — Gahanna residents will have the chance to have their voices heard this week as the city is creating a roadmap that will help shape the future called Our Gahanna.

The City of Gahanna is working on reshaping its future and city leaders want to hear from residents. All week long, residents will have a chance to share their ideas and be a part of shaping the future. To get input, the city is hosting Our Gahanna Vision Festival.

Our Gahanna is a citywide initiative to develop a new strategic plan.

“I’ve lived here for four years,” Ava Markham, a Gahanna resident and part of the steering committee, said. 

Markham is a long-time Columbus resident, but four years ago, she made the move to Gahanna to live with her fiancé. 

“Living here is a perfect in-between of being able to see my family and be where I need to be for school in my career and I also just like it because there’s lots to eat, lots to do, so it gives me kind of the in-between of living in the country and living downtown,” she said. 

Markham is part of the steering committee, consisting of a diverse group of community members who will work alongside city staff to provide insight and perspective into the planning process. 

One thing Markham would like to see more of is walkable areas and to make sure they preserve nature.

“That’s one of the most beautiful parts, especially about where I live, that there’s lots of greenery and so to see that continue to be preserved is very important to me,” she said. 

For the second year in a row, Gahanna has been named the hottest zip code by Realtor.com. Mayor Laurie Jadwin said that title is both a blessing and a curse. 

“What it means is that we have a very tight housing market and as we continue to see that conversation happening around prices of housing going up and up and how we handle supply and demand, I think that’s reflective in that hotter zip code as well,” Jadwin said.

According to Jadwin, 36,000 people call Gahanna home, which is why gathering community feedback on the future is important. She said the Our Gahanna Vision Fest is an opportunity for residents to have their voices heard.

“As we’ve seen growth in the Gahanna area for the last five years and also in the region, the Columbus region continues to grow, where do we need to focus our efforts so that we can grow sustainably and smartly to make sure that we are growing in the right direction,” she said.

There are multiple events taking place this week where residents will have the opportunity to voice their ideas. To view event details, click here. If you can’t attend any in-person events, you can share your thoughts here.