Comprehensive Plan Subcommittee Evanston Plan

Commission June 17, 2013 – Presentation to Council

• Comprehensive plans are about improving the community.

• The objective is not a good plan, but a good community. • The strategic plan for Evanston recognizes that limited

resources don’t allow the City to do everything for everyone, but that choices are needed.

• The comprehensive plan should also acknowledge limited resources and the need for choices. It should reflect choices of the community expressed by its elected officials and participants in the process of plan making.

• Zoning changes permit consideration of one proposal at a time. The opinions of those living very near the property for which zoning approval is most important.

• Comprehensive plan making allows consideration of the Evanston’s city-wide needs. – It allows the city to respond to expected

changes in the environment. – It is the context for strategic planning of

Evanston’s physical environment.

• A Good Plan– The process of creating a comprehensive plan is a process

resulting in a set of decisions about the desired direction for the community.

– The Commission believes it should include includes sections on actions that will lead to a good community.

– The plan is a record memorializing decisions made and actions committed and initiated during the planning process.

Traditional Existing Plan Organization1. Population2. General land Use 3. Neighborhoods Housing4. Business, Commercial &

Industrial Areas5. Central Business District

Institutions6. Public Facilities

8. Circulation 9. Streets & Traffic

Management Parking System

10. Transit Systems, Bicycles & Pedestrians Community Environment

11. Community Design & Historic Preservation

12. The Environment

• New Plan Organization – Chapters on expected change and issues facing Evanston with a focus on– Expected change in economic environment,

demographics, citizen preferences, and technology.– The strengths, opportunities and weaknesses of the City– Finding solutions to major issues and problems facing

Evanston.– Evaluation and incorporation of neighborhood plans

into the city wide comprehensive plan so as to reflect and enhance the residential and commercial choices for our residents

• Examples of Chapter titles in the new plan:– Maintaining and increasing manufacturing jobs in

Evanston– Responding to the land use preferences of gen x

and gen y that differ from those of the soon to be aging baby boom cohort.

– Preserving development space and providing infrastructure to support economic development.

• The traditional information provided by a comprehensive plan will also be included.

• Demographic Changes Expected– Aging of the Baby-Boomers who mostly preferred wide

lawns and very low density suburbs where uses were widely separated and access to amenities or work required a trip in the car.

– Gen X and Gen Y have different residential preferences than the boomers. 40% of these generations prefer age-friendly communities featuring “public transportation, different options for housing, lifelong learning opportunities, a robust arts and cultural scene, walkability and urban spaces.”

– 50 percent of Evanston’s population is part of the Generation X or Y cohort.

• Quality of Place should be addressed in the Comp Plan. It is defined as:

1. The combination of the built environment and the natural environment; a stimulating, appealing setting for the pursuit of creative lives;

2. Diverse people of all ethnicities, nationalities, religions, and sexual orientations, interacting and providing clear cues that this is a community where anyone can fit in and make a life.

3. The vibrancy of the street life, café culture, arts, and music; the visible presence of people engaging in outdoor activities—altogether a lot of active, exciting, creative goings-ons” Richard Florida

• Other items to be addressed:– Infrastructure – Future Requirements of Evanston Institutions– The complete street – consistent with

consideration of the needs of pedestrians, bicyclists as well as other vehicles

– Maintain opportunities for housing of different types for people of many income levels.

• Next Steps – Part One of Participation– Possible interviews of elected officials in Summer

2013– Joint workshop with Council and Plan Commission

– Fall 2013.– Outreach to the various stakeholders and

community groups in Evanston, Early Fall 2013– Write a draft of the plan Fall 2013.

• Part Two of Participation– Get feedback on the draft plan --Winter– Revise the draft plan as needed – Early Spring– Hold formal public hearings -- Spring– Submit the draft plan to the Council. – Late Spring

or summer