Tuesday, April 2, 2024   |   View in browser

Join the Conversation: Envision Evanston 2045

Good afternoon, 

You may have heard me talk about Envision Evanston 2045, a once-in-a-generation opportunity for us to rewrite our comprehensive plan and zoning code.

If you’re like most people I talk to, you might get less excited about the words “rewrite our comprehensive plan and zoning code” than about other hypothetical ways to complete the phrase “a once-in-a-generation opportunity for us to…”.

But here’s the thing: our comprehensive plan and zoning code are instrumental in allowing us to achieve this community’s most cherished goals. These are the decisions that determine what can be built where, how our community will grow, and what assets we invest in.

Passionate about affordable housing? Envision Evanston will affect how much our housing supply can expand, which is the biggest input to affordability. Committed to action on climate? Envision Evanston will affect how much density we’ll have near transit, and how walkable and bikeable our community is. Concerned about our budget and taxes? Envision Evanston will affect how much our tax base can grow and where we spend money. 

So it truly is a unique opportunity for us to make a series of decisions that will have an enormous amount to say about our community’s trajectory for decades to come. For that reason, it’s absolutely pivotal that we have broad input from across Evanston as we carry out this work.

Many people have already engaged in this process, but we’re still eager to hear more. The project will have a number of phases, and input will be valuable throughout, but the first phase is coming to an end in a few weeks and I’m asking you to share your views if you haven’t yet. You can visit the Envision Evanston 2045 website to sign up for updates, fill out our survey, or learn about upcoming events.

I especially want to ask you to consider hosting a “meeting in a box” – basically, an opportunity to invite some people over, take them through a curated discussion (don’t worry, we make it easy for you!), and share their thoughts with the City. It’s a great way to make sure that we hear not only from people who themselves are passionate about this work (you!), but also from people in their networks (your friends).

Click image to play video.

I hosted a meeting in a box and we had a terrific discussion – I hope you’ll click through to watch some highlights of it, and then head over to the Envision Evanston 2045 website to download the materials to host one of your own.

Thank you so much!

Best,

Daniel Biss
Mayor, City of Evanston
dbiss@cityofevanston.org