Envision Evanston 2045 is an aspiring plan focused on making sure that Evanston continues to be an inclusive place to live, work and play. Envision Evanston’s committee goal is that by 2045 Evanston will continue to be a welcoming and diverse community. Some other goals include; boosting local economic resilience and growth, promoting community health and well-being, diversifying housing options for all income levels, celebrating diversity and creative expression through art and culture, equitable access to opportunities and resources, expanding transportation choices and achieving necessary climate action.
Changes outlined in Envision Evanston include improving housing around Evanston. A common challenge is finding accessible and convenient for the community, and it’s also hard to change with everything that can happen in housing stocks and the economic aspects of our town. The challenges are worth it, however, when there are recurring problems like rising house costs, an increase in the housing supply and combat displacement. Envision Evanston 2045 has taken these aspects into account to deal with these issues and make it a principle to change. Some of the things Envision Evanston will be changing to create solutions consist of a comprehensive housing strategy that will assist Evanston’s investments and initiatives. They will also start to initiate healthy buildings and neighborhoods, improve revenue sources for initiatives and maintain affordability.
The next target that Envision Evanston focuses on is transportation. ¨This section of the plan focuses on creating a holistic, multimodal transportation system by expanding access to diverse transportation options,” states the introduction to Envision Evanston. Public transportation in Evanston is commonly used to get around all around Cook County, but as you reach Chicago transportation is very limited in the western parts. By 2045 Evanston hopes to be able to open more opportunities to fix this inconvenience. Another part of transportation that can always be improved is Transit Service hours. Many of Evanston Bus lines do not offer all-day service, and on the average day stop running at around 9 pm. This can become a problem for the community due to the fact most food, beverage and retail embellishments do not close until after 9, this then causes a concern for people who only have public transportation as an option. Another concern Envision Evanston wants to touch on is the safety of transit. Citizens who walk have voiced that they feel unsafe when crossing streets, this is expected because of the 30 pedestrian injuries that occurred in 2022 this problem hopes to be solved by creating a cohesive on-street cycling network.
Another part that Envision Evanston focuses on is placemaking, arts and culture. Placemaking centers on a plan that manages public spaces that are inclusive to all and share cultural diversity in the community. Pedestrian-friendly streets and energetic public squares are examples that represent placemaking that contributes to Envision Evanston. Arts and culture drive Evanston’s economic development, which leads arts and culture to highlight challenges and opportunities Envision Evanston will focus on. Evanston is a diverse community, so Envision Evanston plans to celebrate the diversity through dances, visuals and music. For example, there are numerous murals throughout Evanston. They’re efficient placemaking tools in the community because they are alluring and can contribute to a neighborhood’s pride.
In 20 years, Evanston’s land use plan is designed to set policies toward how Evanston will use the land’s resources. The land use incorporates equitable development, perceptive growth to maintain healthy and inclusive communities, and environmental justice to help shape better land usage. Centers will be designated to promote social and cultural activities. There are currently laws and policies that restrict land usage in Evanston. Evanston has a deep history that aligns with land usage, past and new policies and the rise of land usage in Evanston.
Parks and open spaces play an important role in citizens’ physical and mental health and well-being. Evanston is a city that is generous in parks/open spaces, including 89 diverse parks/open spaces for citizens to enjoy. Envision Evanston 2045 values parks and outdoor open spaces that embrace high-quality features and equitable access. Envision Evanston’s plan for parks and open spaces is solely focused on improving the health of the citizens of Evanston physically and mentally. The plan is designed to reevaluate current parks, create age-appropriate equipment, accessible public bathrooms and more.
Envision Evanston has many targets they hope to achieve in the next 20 years and hope to make key things in Evanston more efficient and effective for every citizen. In 2045 Evanston will become a better version of itself.
