Indy's Roadmap to the Future

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.

Alex Miser is Communications Coordinator at the Department of Metropolitan Development (DMD), City of Indianapolis.