Again this week, Gainesville residents will have the chance to have their say on a future plan for the city.

A city-sponsored workshop at the Fair Street Neighborhood Community Center from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday will allow residents to let city leaders know how they want the city's downtown, midtown and intown neighborhoods to look in the future.

Community Development Director Rusty Ligon said Thursday's workshop will help city leaders mold policies governing development in those areas.

It also helps city leaders develop strategies for how to improve those areas, Ligon said.

On Thursday, workshop attendees will hear a brief presentation before they engage in a hands-on exercise, allowing them to give input on future plans for this section of the city.

Already, city leaders had "several takeaways" from a previous workshop that focused on future development of major roads leading into the city, Ligon said.

In that workshop, residents told city planners they wanted Thompson Bridge Road to stay "neighborhood focused" for the most part, they wanted to see a long-term redevelopment plan of the property where Blaze Recycling now sits and they wanted to see the New Holland village off Limestone Parkway preserved, Ligon said.

A final workshop Sept. 8 will pinpoint commercial opportunities along Atlanta Highway, Browns Bridge Road and Lakeshore Mall.

Residents who can't attend the workshops can fill out an online survey that gauges users' reactions based on photographs of streetscapes, densities, roads and open spaces. That survey can be found on the city's website for the Community Development department.