On October 12, HC3 hosted a session with We Will Chicago to discuss the citywide framework plan, the first since 1966. This citywide plan focuses on leveling the playing field for Chicagoans from all backgrounds and confronting the past policy, funding, and development decisions with a mind to correct those situations with a focus on equity and resiliency.
Featured Presenter:
David Collier King, We Will Chicago Outreach and Engagement Manager
Review the City plan here
Complete the feedback survey here
MEETING RECAP
We Will is Chicago's first city plan in 25 years. It is meant to focus on providing opportunity and improvement for all Chicagoans across all neighborhoods through a focus on the principles of equity and resiliency, all while recognizing Chicago’s complex history and that many disparities that exist today are the result of planning decisions that have been made in the past. Historical acknowledgment is a critical piece that names challenges and barriers adversely impacting Black/Brown communities.
The plan looks at where we want to go as a city, how to get there, and who is needed at the table to achieve our goals and vision. The city seeks to engage community members and organizations to review the plan and provide feedback through surveys and via the We Will Chicago website so the plan can be refined before adoption in January 2023. The input period ends on November 1.
The plan will guide the city’s future by helping to:
Align annual budgets, significant projects, and policies
Ensure more equitable development
Establish standards for neighborhood plans
Create standards for public decision-making
Include communities in development planning
Inform land use and zoning decisions
Public Health and Safety Pillar
HC3 members should consider the first pillar of the We Will Chicago plan - public health and safety. This pillar includes goals that are intended to reduce threats to physical and mental health, prioritize public health, and contribute to the elimination of inequities in both health and safety by making health equity a top priority for the City of Chicago. The public health and safety pillar includes these goals:
Goal 1: Ensure equitability and affordable health care services for all Chicagoans
Goal 2: Strengthen trauma-informed public health systems to respond to mental and behavioral health conditions
Goal 3: Establish and maintain the necessary governmental public health and emergency management capacity, staff, and infrastructure, and change community conditions to eliminate health inequities and respond to public health emergencies
Goal 4: Ensure Chicago is a city where everyone can thrive without fear of violence
Goal 5: Make infrastructure, physical spaces, and services safe, beautiful, and accessible to the aspirations and cultures of communities
Economic Development Pillar
We Will Chicago also wants to engage HC3 members in the pillar of economic development. This pillar aims to create a more prosperous and equitable economy for all Chicago residents and workers. The objectives of this pillar include:
Goal 1: Build and sustain generational wealth and shared prosperity for black and Latino communities
Goal 2: Support business growth throughout Chicago, especially businesses owned by Black and Latino people
Goal 3: Invest in equitable and inclusive workforce development to build resilient economic clusters
Goal 4: Promote equitable public, private, and philanthropic investment in Black and Latino community areas without displacement
Goal 5: Promote Chicago's assets nationally and amplify positive narratives about South and West side neighborhoods
Next steps:
The We Will Chicago team wants to engage in partnerships with organizations already working on these goals and is eager to get support from HC3 organizations. HC3 organizations are encouraged to help get the word out to people to complete the survey and give feedback. We Will Chicago can provide posters and other materials that can be used in this effort. It is vital to receive community input because we cannot shape the future of Chicago without community voices, and HC3 is a big part of this.
1. Encourage staff and team members to complete the full pillar surveys at www.wewillchicago.com/surveys
2. Promote the surveys through social media outlets
Link to Plan PDF: www.wewillchicago.com/draft
Link to Surveys: www.wewillchicago.com/surveys
3. Complete the survey yourself!
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