This post originally appeared on City Gallery.
Downtown Indianapolis is brimming with positive momentum. New residential
developments, a robust food scene, strong urban neighborhoods and Bikeshare have
downtown riding high. While downtown’s population and momentum is soaring, some
other areas in our city are losing residents and face growth issues. Land in
Marion County is also at a premium. We can’t expand our borders like we did
with Unigov. We have to get strategic about how we recruit and compete for
residents.
Some parts of Indy do compete, like downtown. Downtown’s success can be
linked to a number of factors, one being that it is the only bustling urban
metropolis in the area. The city’s challenge is identifying a way to make all
of Indianapolis more competitive, so the city can continue to grow.\
Enter Plan 2020.
Plan 2020 creates a new approach to planning in Indianapolis, meshing
community vision, values, and strategy with an unprecedented, coordinated
update to core city government plans. Plan 2020’s mission is to make
Indianapolis a better place to live, work and visit.
Five themes have been identified as instrumental to developing a
compelling future for Indianapolis.
·
CHOOSE INDY – Building safe, vibrant
and competitive neighborhoods for all residents.
·
LOVE INDY – Fostering an emotional
connection to our city through places, amenities and activities.
·
CONNECT INDY – Connecting people, goods,
information and neighborhoods to make navigating the city easier.
·
WORK INDY – Cultivating and maximizing
economic opportunity in Indianapolis.
·
SERVE INDY – Promoting civic engagement and
service to others as a defining characteristic of our city.
Plan 2020 is a collaboration
between the Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee, Department of Metropolitan
Development and community leaders. This coordination will make Plan 2020 more
strategic than typical planning initiatives and will be honest and transparent
about what city government can accomplish.
Plan 2020 has the perfect home for this task: old City Hall, which has
been rebranded as The Hall. The Hall
serves as an urban think tank
and hub for the city’s new strategic plan and other community-based planning in
the City. The Hall will be one of Plan
2020’s engagement vehicles, helping to produce collaboration and discussion
among Indianapolis residents. The Hall will host non-traditional public
meetings, forums, events and activities to spur innovative thinking about the
future of Indianapolis. In addition to housing Plan 2020, The Hall also has an
interactive gallery space that highlights community initiatives, design and
urban development.
Plan 2020 won’t have all the answers to Indianapolis’ problems, but it
will develop a roadmap that makes Indy an even better place to live. Share your
two cents by visiting The Hall or following us on social media at @IndyPlan and
@TheHall_Indy.
