What is the Strategic Plan?
The 2024-2028 Citywide Strategic Plan serves as the long-term vision for the future direction of the City. The foundation of the Strategic Plan is rooted in well-defined goals, strategic objectives and priorities, and measurable outcomes. It establishes organizational performance data and a continuous engagement loop with the community and city employees to inform City budgetary and policy decision making.
Under the Strategic Plan, annually the City will create a Strategic Doing Framework that will provide a short-term action plan. The purpose of the Strategic Doing Framework is to intentionally move forward the visionary community ideas outlined in the 4-year Strategic Plan, into yearly action-oriented collaborations that result in measurable outcomes.
These plans are the result of countless hours of community engagement, thoughtful discussion, and collaborative effort. They reflect the voices and aspirations of our diverse neighborhoods, our vibrant business community, and our passionate residents.
2024-2028 Citywide Strategic Plan
The City knows our community has big dreams for Colorado Springs, and we want to see them come true. The Strategic Plan helps the City understand what to prioritize and invest in. The plan provides guidance to help the Mayor, City Council, and staff know what is important to the community and how to realize those hopes, dreams, and desires.
Vision, Mission and Values
MISSION — the City’s purpose for being
To provide exceptional service, respond to evolving needs, and plan for the future to promote a flourishing community.
VISION — our shared idea of the future
Colorado Springs will be a safe, economically prosperous, culturally rich, inclusive, and vibrant world-class American City on a hill that shines brightly.
Safe
Create an environment where all residents and visitors feel safe, and secure and are protected from various threats, including crime, natural disasters, and other safety concerns.
Economically Prosperous
Enhance quality of life for residents and future generations through adequate infrastructure, enterprise and innovation, employment opportunities, and a flexible and adaptable workforce.
Culturally Rich
Celebrate the city’s cultural identity and diversity of its residents and foster an environment where various cultural heritages can flourish.
Inclusive
Create a sense of belonging where all individuals feel welcome, valued, and empowered to participate in the community, and ensure that no one feels marginalized or excluded due to their identity or circumstances.
ORGANIZATIONAL VALUES — expectations for decision making and City service delivery
Transparent
Build trust with residents.
Foster Accountability, promote open and good governance. Take responsibility for actions, discourage conflicts of interest, and empower residents to participate actively in democratic processes.
Proactive
Act with a forward-thinking mindset and engage in strategic doing to address challenges, opportunities, and needs before they become urgent or critical.
Adapt, embrace, innovate, and collaborate with various stakeholders to improve services, governance, and overall well-being of our residents now and in the future.
Approachable
Be accessible, open, and welcoming to all, regardless of education level, status, or background, ensuring information is easily accessible to all residents.
Foster an environment where residents feel empowered to engage with their government officials, participate in decision-making processes, and contribute to shaping policies that affect their lives.
Strategic Priorities
The City will regularly monitor the progress toward the Strategic Plan goals and objectives and report on performance measures. Tracking keeps us transparent and holds us accountable. We will provide the community with an annual report and the City Council with a year-end presentation. Community members can expect to understand what we are working on and the benefits that will result for our residents, businesses, and the community overall.
Public Safety
Through preparedness, prevention, response, innovation, and engagement, help make Colorado Springs one of the safest cities.
- Develop and implement plans for appropriate public safety facilities, equipment, innovative technology, and staffing levels to meet current and evolving community needs.
- Support coordinated efforts of community partners to implement evidence-based practices that address public safety concerns around homelessness and behavioral health.
- Focus efforts on planning and coordination with the community and partners to expand resilience, reduce the impacts of hazards, and enhance response capabilities.
- Implement effective strategies to reduce injury and damage caused by traffic crashes.
- Prioritize preventative solutions including partnerships with community-led efforts that reduce crime and build safe neighborhoods.
Infrastructure
Protect, maintain, and invest in safe, reliable, and accessible streets, waterways, walkways, parks, public spaces, and resources to promote a connected, resilient, and thriving community.
- Expand safe, connected, and reliable multimodal options to make it easier to get around.
- Provide well-maintained and safe recreation spaces for all to enjoy.
- Foster sustained investment in public infrastructure to take care of what we have.
- Update the approach for infill development and annexation that is centered around community needs and values while providing an appropriate level of City services.
- Continually invest in the necessary information technology architecture to safeguard the stability and continuity of city services.
- Leverage data and innovative technology to address our community’s needs and enhance our quality of life.
Housing Solutions
Implement policies, foster community partnerships, and secure sustainable funding to increase housing choices so that residents have options that are right for them.
- Develop and implement a comprehensive housing strategy that refines the City’s approach to meet the community’s housing needs.
- Optimize processes and support land use practices to effectively address housing challenges.
- Identify and secure funding for housing incentives, programs, and resources to support housing attainability.
- Leverage diverse partnerships to implement housing solutions.
- Support innovative approaches to housing construction that adapt to evolving community needs.
- Foster diverse development and enhance neighborhood character to support household and neighborhood vitality.
Economic Vitality
Encourage and promote a resilient economy that attracts and retains diverse businesses and talent to create opportunities for a prosperous and enhanced quality of life.
- Bolster collaboration and resources to foster a premier, business-friendly environment that supports new and existing businesses.
- Promote and support local businesses by connecting industry to a skilled and diverse workforce.
- Encourage the development of a robust and innovative ecosystem that supports entrepreneurship and a diverse regional economy.
- Celebrate the City’s unique strengths and assets to include its identity as Olympic City USA
Community Activation
Mobilize community members to actively participate in local initiatives and take ownership of their own flourishing to drive positive change.
- Advance the comprehensive communication strategy to inform the community about the City’s priorities and initiatives.
- Establish and promote channels that are accessible and equitable so that residents receive information and can provide input on issues that impact them.
- Encourage the use of public spaces and neighborhood-based engagement to cultivate resident input, collaboration, and a sense of community.
- Increase access and awareness, foster collaborative partnerships, and strengthen social support systems to improve well-being in the Pikes Peak Region.
- Create greater transparency of the City’s data so that residents can be more knowledgeable about the City’s decision making and engage more effectively with City government.
- Encourage mental health participation in City programs to engage residents and foster a more connected community.
Strategic Doing Framework
Planning is only the first step. Strategic Doing is a framework that turns the strategy into action. It empowers the City to swiftly establish action-oriented teams, help steer them toward measurable results, and adapt in real time to internal and external changes
The annual Strategic Doing Frameworks are needed to make sure the Plan is used every day to guide our work so we can achieve the goals and aspirations identified by our community. Four yearly frameworks will be developed during the 2024-2028 Strategic Plan. The City’s Strategic Doing teams are action-oriented collaborations that steer us toward measurable results and can adapt in real-time to internal and external changes.