City and GIPC recognized by the American Planning Association for Plan 2020’s unique, decentralized approach to planning for city’s growth.
INDIANAPOLIS (April 26, 2017) – The Department of Metropolitan Development (DMD) and the Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee (GIPC) are pleased to announce Plan 2020 will receive the Silver 2017 National Planning Achievement Award for a Best Practice from the American Planning Association (APA) for its decentralized approach to planning for the city’s growth.
Plan 2020, a partnership led by GIPC and DMD, defined a new approach to planning in Indianapolis. It acknowledged that Marion County’s full planning capacity reaches well beyond city government and included an unprecedented degree of coordination and collaboration between public, private and philanthropic organizations to realize the community’s collective vision for the future.
“Plan2020 is a powerful representation of what is possible when Indianapolis neighborhoods, community members, and City leadership come together to look ahead and begin planning for the next chapter of our city,” said Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett. “This innovative process engaged our community in a uniquely Indianapolis way and resulted in a collective vision that is relevant and reflective of our residents. I am hopeful this recognition inspires others to redefine their community planning process in a similar way.”
Between March 2014 and December 2015, Plan 2020 reached over 100,000 people using a dozen different community engagement vehicles. The result was a public engagement process deeply committed to guaranteeing Plan 2020’s development and final recommendations remain accessible to anyone who lives, works and visits Marion County. The team returned to the drawing board repeatedly, reaching out to anyone with unique needs and circumstances, including populations who are historically under-represented in planning processes. Through this extensive community outreach, Plan 2020 shows how city planning can work as a decentralized effort, making it more relevant to more people.
Plan 2020 involved the creation or update or seven different plans for all of Indianapolis and Marion County, including the Bicentennial Agenda, the vision and values document that outlines fifteen strategies to make our community healthier, more resilient, more inclusive, and more competitive.
Another component, the Bicentennial Plan, lays out specific actions partners committed to complete by the time our city celebrates its Bicentennial at the end of 2020. “The extensive community outreach involved in developing this plan resulted in something unique and transformative for Indianapolis. Plan 2020 does not simply outline what should be done to prepare our city for growth, it articulates what will be done. Each and every component outlined in the Plan has a committed partner capable of fulfilling an action step, and numerous partners who are working to realize the larger vision,” said Beth White, Executive Director, GIPC.
In total, 43 community partners, including a variety of government departments and other public and private organizations, are working together on the Bicentennial Plan’s implementation. These organizations have signed a Memorandum of Agreement with GIPC to carry out the action steps identified in the plan or directly support implementation of its strategies.
“We are proud to have been recognized on a national level by APA. This was a truly collaborative effort from the City, community and business leaders, as well as residents. I would like to thank the DMD and GIPC teams, as well as the thousands of people who worked tirelessly to give our community a voice. This recognition is a testament to the impact that can be made when city government works hand-in-hand with our community,” said Emily Mack, DMD Director.
APA’s national awards program is a proud tradition established more than 50 years ago to recognize outstanding community plans, planning programs and initiatives, public education efforts, and individuals for their leadership on planning issues. These efforts help create communities of lasting value throughout the country – and around the world.
The City of Indianapolis and GIPC are one of twelve recipients being honored at a special luncheon during APA’s National Planning Conference in New York City on May 8, 2017. Representing the City of Indianapolis and GIPC will be co-managers of Plan 2020, Brad Beaubien and Brooke Thomas. Beaubien is DMD’s Administrator for Long Range Planning, and Thomas was the Deputy Director of GIPC during the planning process. The recipients will also be featured in the May 2017 issue of Planning magazine.
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About APA
The American Planning Association is an independent, not- for-profit educational organization that provides leadership in the development of vital communities. APA and its professional institute, the American Institute of Certified Planners, are dedicated to advancing the art, science and profession of good planning — physical, economic and social — so as to create communities that offer better choices for where and how people work and live. The nearly 37,000 members of APA help create communities of lasting value and encourage civic leaders, business interests and citizens to play a meaningful role in creating communities that enrich people’s lives. APA has offices in Washington, D.C., and Chicago. For more information, visit www.planning.org.
About Plan 2020
Plan 2020 is a pioneering planning process that is defining Indianapolis’ next 100 years by creating or updating seven different planning documents Through extensive community outreach and an unprecedented degree of coordination and collaboration between public, private and philanthropic organizations, the Plan describes the community’s collective vision and lays out aligned strategies, policies, and specific committed action steps. It focuses on the Indianapolis community’s collective ability to make Indy a healthier, more resilient, more inclusive, and more competitive city. For more information, visit www.plan2020.com.
About GIPC
Since 1965, GIPC has convened representatives from all sectors of the community to address the most significant issues of concern and areas for opportunity related to the progress of the City of Indianapolis. These include the development of Eagle Creek Park, the creation of Unigov, the construction of Interstate 465, desegregation of local schools; and more recently, a Community Crime Prevention Grant program, consensus building for a new Wishard / Eskenazi Health Hospital, development and monitoring of Plan 2020, and organizing partner for ProjectIndy, summer youth employment. Driven by business and civic leaders, GIPC represents the bipartisan alliance that is a continuing example of the public-private partnership in Indianapolis. For more information, visit www.indygipc.org.
Media Contact:
Lindsey Richardt
Chief Communications Officer | Department of Metropolitan Development
O: 317-327-6709
C: 317-522-3042