A vision statement describes the desired state of a place in the future. With community support, an effective vision can influence decisions and inspire action to move toward that idealized future. Goals further describe the outcomes that will support the realization of the vision. These, in turn, are supported by more specific strategies and actions that will implement the bigger-picture vision and goals. These strategies will involve specific proposed projects, programs, policies, and other means of achieving the community vision.

The Draft Vision and Goals for the Far East Community Area were prepared based off input from residents and community stakeholders through an online questionnaire, a community meeting, and a planning team meeting. It will be refined with feedback from the Planning Team and participants during the next community meeting. Below are the emerging vision and goals for the Far East area:

The Far East Community Area is comprised of safe and inviting neighborhoods with diverse, quality, and affordable options for housing, dining, shopping, medical services, healthy food, and community gathering spaces, all organized around quality parks and the area’s own walkable arts, entertainment and shopping district. Residents of all ages and incomes can get around easily using well-lit and well-maintained sidewalks, trails, bicycle facilities, and transit amenities lined with trees and landscaping, green stormwater treatments, and public art.

 

Goal 1: Improve comfort and safety throughout the area with improved lighting, signage, and enhancement of parks, trails, sidewalks, and other community assets.

 

Goal 2: Increase access to healthy food and health care for all residents.

 

Goal 3: Facilitate development patterns that include local employment and entertainment opportunities in one or more mixed use urban centers or arts districts that are highly walkable and connected and serve as an area destination.

 

Goal 4: Increase equitable access to parks, open space, trails, community gathering facilities, and recreational amenities.

 

Goal 5: Create housing, employment, goods and services that serve, support and are accessible to a variety of income levels, age groups, and multi-generational households.

 

Goal 6: Encourage commercial development to be less auto-oriented and more walkable and provide a greater diversity of locally serving restaurant and retail options.

 

Goal 7: Improve comfort, safety and aesthetics throughout the Far East Area with tree-lined streets, other urban greening, and integration of sustainable infrastructure.

 

Goal 8: Expand the amount and variety of multi-modal networks throughout the Far East Area.

 

What is a Vision Statement?

A vision statement describes the desired state of a place in the future. With community support, an effective vision can influence decisions and inspire action to move toward that idealized future. Goals further describe the outcomes that will support the realization of the vision. These, in turn, are supported by more specific recommendations and strategies that will implement the bigger-picture vision and goals. These strategies will involve specific proposed projects, programs, policies, and other means of achieving the community vision.

The Far East Community Area Vision and Goals were developed with input from residents and community stakeholders through an iterative process of developing and refining these concepts. During preliminary community engagement efforts, community members articulated important values and identified Far East Community’s assets, challenges, and opportunities. This community input became the basis for Far East's Vision and Goals, which will be refined with feedback from the Planning Team and participants at a second Community Meeting.

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